Flooding: Reps Question Ecological Fund, Demand Supplementary Budget

ABUJA, September 26, (THEWILL) - The Federal House of Representatives on Wednesday asked questions on the usage of the Ecological Fund and called on the Executive to come up with a supplementary budget to tackle the menace of flooding in the country.

This resolution emanated from motions sponsored by Hon. Buba Jubril (PDP-Kogi), Ndudi Elumelu (PDP-Delta), and Stella Dorgu (PDP-Bayelsa) on incidences of flooding in Lokoja, Sagbama and Asaba respectively, which was adopted.

Leading the debate, Jubril noted that the flood had caused the people of the state untold hardship.

In his submission, Elumelu observed that the people have been cut off from the other parts of the state since the tragedy.

Also speaking, Dorgu told the House that women and children were undergoing serious difficulties as a result of the flood.

In her contribution, Hon. Uche Ekwunife (APGA-Anambra), Chairman, House Committee on Environment, suggested that the House should toe the line of the Senate by calling on the Executive to come up with a supplementary budget, since the Ecological Fund meant for situations as this has continued to remain a mystery.

“The committee has requested for the statement of account of the fund from the accountant-general of the federation but could not get it,” she said.

She expressed dismay that nobody had come up with any solution to the continued flooding of the country, and called for the enactment of an Act to create an agency to oversee the ecological fund, which has not been utilised appropriately.

In his contribution, Hon. Leo Ogor (PDP-Delta) advised the Executive to explain to the House what it has been doing with the fund meant to tackle such situations.

Hon. Eziuche Ubani (PDP-Imo) observed that states and local government councils were not doing enough to tackle the problem of flooding. “Nigeria, as a country, has no emergency management plan … to effectively handle this kind of situation,” she lamented.

The motion was subsequently referred to the Joint Committee on Disaster Management, Health and Works for further legislative inputs.