Environmental preservation scores big in ministry’s budget

A breakdown of the 2015 budget as presented to the National Assembly showed that the ministry will be spending N31 million on tree planting as against the N110 million it expended on tree planting in 2014.
In 2015, the ministry will be spending N468 million on erosion and flood control while in 2014 the ministry was allocated N4.7 billion for erosion and flood control.
The ministry will be spending N8.3 million on generator and plant maintenance, N42 million on utilities, N22 million on electricity charges, N13 million on water rate and sewage charges in 2015 as against N22 million on utilities, N15 million on electricity and N7.4 million on water rate and sewage charges in 2014.
The ministry’s decision to allocate N468 million to flood and erosion control may not be unconnected to the fact that the committee inaugurated by the federal government to address the plight of the 2012 flood which ravaged most states of the federation failed to meet the needs and aspiration of Nigerians.
The federal government inaugurated the National Flood Relief and Rehabilitation Committee chaired by Alhaji Aliko Dangote to raise money for the flood victims as well as suggest ways of addressing floods in the country. The committee winded up its activities without providing relief for the victims even though it raised over N17 billion in cash and promissory note from Nigerians and the international committee.