Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi has called on the federal ministry of environment to assist his administration in its quest to overcome the environmental challenges facing the state.
According to a press release issued to newsmen by his Special Assistant on New Media on Thursday, Lawal Muazu Bauchi, the governor made the request when he paid an advocacy visit to the minister of environment, Dr Muhammad Mahmoud in his office in Abuja.
Governor Bala Mohammed who enumerated the environmental challenges facing the state to the Minister, opined that working in close collaboration with the environment ministry at the federal level will assist towards addressing the situation.
According to governor Bala, the state government under his leadership is ever ready and willing to work with the ministry so as to benefit from its environmental interventions.
“The Honourable Minister Sir, federal government is working considering the caliber of people heading its various positions, we are confident that you will take Nigeria to the next level of development”, he said.
“I want to congratulate you on your well deserved appointment, we know your capacity to deliver, environment is about living, it is a business of every body that’s why we must visit you. We are ready to work with the federal government and your ministry in particular to overcome our environmental problems”, Bala added.
The governor said working with critical stakeholders will enable him provide people of the state with good governance and dividends of democracy as time for partisan politics and campaigns are over.
“We in Bauchi, we are the gate way for all the states in the North East. We are here in your office because of our nature to request you to assist us with environmental facilities,” he further explained.
On the condition of the Yankari Games Reserve, Governor Bala Mohammed expressed concern on the challenges facing the reserve, saying that currently the state government is working with some international organizations to develop it.
Responding, the Minister of Environment, Dr Muhammad Mahmoud who said the ministry was very much interested to work with the state government, noted that, Bauchi is a national asset in the area of environmental resources.
The Minister assured the governor of the support of the ministry in order to overcome ecological problem and other environmental challenges facing the state.
The minister who thanked the governor for the visit said it was coming at a better time when the minitry is planning to visit him, promising to assist the governor address mismanagement of environmental resources.
“We will support you by inviting UNESCO to visit Yankari Games Reserve in order to come in. The Honourable Commissioner prioritize your problems so that we can support you not only us but alongside development partners.”
