The Senator representing Edo Central Senatorial District and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Drugs and Narcotics, Senator Joseph Ikpea, has called for stronger collaboration between the executive and legislative arms of government to address the persistent ecological challenges affecting communities across the district.
Ikpea made the appeal during a visit to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, where he sought coordinated Federal Government intervention to tackle erosion, gully expansion, flooding and other environmental problems confronting communities in Edo Central.
During the meeting, the senator highlighted the severe impact of ecological degradation on lives, livelihoods, infrastructure, farmlands and economic activities within the district. He stressed the need for a comprehensive response involving relevant Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), coordinated through the Office of the SGF.
It would be recalled that Senator Ikpea recently raised the issue on the floor of the Senate through a motion calling for urgent intervention by the Federal Government and relevant authorities to address worsening gully erosion and other ecological threats in Edo Central Senatorial District.
The motion, which was successfully passed by the Upper Legislative Chamber, underscores the senator’s commitment to pursuing both legislative and executive measures aimed at addressing the environmental challenges facing communities across Esanland.
According to Ikpea, while legislative advocacy remains a critical tool for securing government action, sustained engagement with key Federal Government institutions is equally important in accelerating policy implementation and attracting timely ecological intervention projects to vulnerable communities.
Responding, Senator George Akume reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to promoting inter-ministerial collaboration and ensuring the effective implementation of policies and programmes designed to support sustainable national development.
Akume assured the senator that the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which coordinates the activities of Federal MDAs and oversees the implementation of government decisions, remains committed to supporting initiatives that address pressing environmental and developmental challenges across the country.