Senate seeks environment varsity in Ogoniland

Amid calls for environmental remediation, the Senate Wednesday passed a bill seeking to establish the Federal University of Environment Technology for second reading.

Leading debate on the bill, Barinada Mpigi ( PDP Rivers South East), said if approved by the Senate, the university will be established in Saakpenwa, in the Ogoni land adding that  setting up the institution of higher learning in the area would provide the manpower needed to tackle the environmental degradation in the area.

He said,” As a leader and community mobiliser, it is my  passion and conviction that the establishment of a Federal University of Environmental Technology, Saakpenwa, Ogoni,  will capture and mainstream the ideals of UNEP recommendations and help in confidence building and cementing relationship with community leadership and give opportunities to the youths and women to better understand the relationship between technology, environmental pollution and environmental protection. Not only in  Ogoni, but in the entire Niger Delta region and Nigeria in general in order to combat the threat of ecology and climate change. 

“The proposed Federal University of Environment Technology, Saakpenwa , Ogoni, when established will also provide for the institutional requirements for running a world class environmental technology institution by catering for learning and research needs of its prospective students and researchers in Nigeria and beyond.

“I want to reiterate  that when this bill is enacted into law , the Federal University of Environmental Technology, Saalpenwa Ogoni, Rivers state will be the first in Africa in these areas of learning and knowledge as a specialised university.

“Again as we are aware, the Ogoni struggle has earned international recognition and reputation. And thus there are available willing partners and buy-ins from international organisations and individuals, especially those with bias in nature conservation and environmental protection to support take- off of the university.”

Leave a Reply