Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Benjamin Okezie Kalu has called on developed countries to come to the rescue of African countries at the receiving end of the devastating effects of climate change.
Speaking during the debate on the “Parliamentary action for peace, justice, and strong institutions (SDG 16)” at the Thursday session of the ongoing 147th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Luanda, Angola, he said it is unfortunate that African countries suffer the devastating effects of climate change than the developed countries of the world.
He explained that the resolve of the National Assembly to pass the climate change Bill into law was in tandem with global best practices.
Kalu also highlighted the contributions of the National Assembly of Nigeria towards building virile social institutions, promoting peace and justice as espoused in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 16).
“The National Assembly has also passed the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), which reformed the Nigerian oil and gas sector. The PIA is expected to promote transparency and accountability in the sector, strengthen the institutional framework, and attract investment.
“As a parliament representing the people, we devoted ample time in ensuring the improvement of our electoral act amended in 2022 to enable integrity of the electoral process through technology which has led to the reduction of post-election crisis.
“To ensure inclusion, the Nigerian parliament passed the Federal Character Commission Act for a better management of our diversity. This Legislation minimizes dominance and ensures nobody is left behind
“It is often said the justice delayed is justice denied. To ensure the speedy dispensation of Justice, the Nigerian Criminal Justice Act has and continues to be improved to ensure better access to justice.
“The National Assembly’s legislative contributions to peace, justice, and strong institutions have been significant. However, there is still more work to be done”, he said.
The Deputy Speaker who further stated that Nigeria has experienced a number of challenges in recent years, including the insurgency in the North East, environmental degradation and underdevelopment in the Niger Delta, and agitations in the South East however said that proactive steps have been taken for the enactment of Northeast Development commission, Niger Delta Development Commission with other bills such as the south east development commission which is a work in progress as a way of addressing the issues.
Decrying the violence in Sudan where the absence of self-counsel and wisdom has led to utter destruction of the nation and more recently, the avoidable devastation of lives and property in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza, Kalu urged the global leaders to find solutions rather than trading blames.
“And this, we must do. In addition, threats to democracy in Africa seen in recent coups in some African countries must be addressed especially the underlying causative factors”, Kalu said.
