Last Thursday, the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, headed by Senator Grace Folashade Bent, engaged the Minister of Environment, Mr. John Odey, in a war of words over the management of ecological funds, which is at the centre of the management of ecological problems in the country.

The minister had led officials of his ministry to a parley with members of the Senate committee when issues got to a head last week.

Committee chairman, Senator Grace Bent, had told the minister that her committee was unhappy with the manner in which ecological funds were being managed in the country. She said that the committee should be involved in the decision making process, especially when it has to do with efforts to tackle ecological problems.

Her words were further echoed by other members of the committee, including Senator Adego Efrakeya ,vice chairman, Senator Annie Okonkwo and Senator Bala Mohammed.

Though Odey attempted to defend the workings of the ministry, choosing to put the responsibility for the management of ecological funs on the presidency, rather than the ministry, the arguments got heated up and voices became raised.

At the end of the heated argument,however, both parties chose  to leave to fight on another day.

The altercations inside Room 1.17 of the Senate new building went thus:
Senator Bent: Projects have been awarded, just as I saw yesterday that ecological funds and the Ministry of Works have partnered together to take funds from the Ecological Funds on a contract that this committee is not aware of and I know that this thing has been going through a process. Honourable Minister, you have never brought this to our notice. You, as a minister in the ministry, should bring all these things to our notice. We do not have to wait until BPP sends lists to us because until BPP brought it to us we didn’t know that there were 36 projects.

John Odey: It is important for us to always meet to clarify issues. The ecological fund is under the president by law and the president oversees the Ecological Funds Office; he approves money and you will recall that some years back, the Minister of Environment was not even the chairman of NCEP (National Committee on Environmental Problems), it was the Special Duties Minister. The fund is domiciled in the CBN, the SGF oversees the fund along with the Minister of Finance. The processes are very clear. The Ecological Funds we are talking about is the ecological fund of the Federal Government.
Senator Bent: What percentage goes to the states?

John Odey: When we talk about ecological funds, we think it is one huge purse, it is not true. You remember I told you that there is the need for interaction between the committee and the president so that we can work out modalities and means on how we can implement projects and I said it is not me who should write. You promised that you would do that, it will bridge that gap.

I know my authority, I know my responsibility and I am aware of my limits.

Bent: What percentage comes to the Federal Government?

Odey: 1.46 per cent  of the allocation of almost 2 per cent comes to the Federal Government while… Excuse me madam, the Ecological Fund is managed by the president and the president has the right to approve an ecological fund amount to any state, it has happened in the past. The president has a right by law to approve ecological funds to any state.

Senator Bent: If the president has the right to approve, the Senate committee on Environment has the right to oversee, so what are we talking about? What we are saying is that we are not happy with the way the funds are being used because it is our right and responsibility to oversee. You sit on NCEP and NCEP is a major process in the approval for Mr. President. If Mr. President gets any request from any state, I am sure he will call you before he makes an approval. What major projects have been implemented?

Senator Bala Mohammed: I think we are getting to the crack of the matter. Hon. Minister, you have raised a fundamental issue; it is the issue of discretion. We are suffering from a military hangover where the president uses discretion

John Odey: All projects that the president recommends for award, he ensures that they go through due process, due process certificates are there.