In sustainability of the ongoing reforms and revamping of the Nation’s economy and continuous growth of food security, job creation and foreign exchange earning by the current administration of His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, the Honourable Minister of Environment by his actions, is definitely not on the same page with this lofty economic growth policy.
Export of live Reptiles approved for export globally by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna (CITES) is a thriving multi-billion Dollar industry and Nigeria is signatory to the Convention since May 9, 1974 and began its enforcement on July 1, 1975.
However, the Honourable Minister of Environment, Mallam Balarabe Abass Lawal has deliberately denied Nigeria a share of this global cake, by ultra viresly refusing to issue Cites Permits to genuine exporters as is obtainable in our neighboring countries of Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Niger, Chad, Cameroon, etc.
The Ministry of Environment should be part of the policy making of any serious administration and any top government functionary in this government working against her policy and Executive Order 001 on Ease of Doing Business Business should be not be in the cabinet.
The Honourable Minister of Environment has continuously denied government qualified exporters who engage in the trade by way of sitting on and deliberate refusal to approve the Cites Permits necessary for the exportation with impunity.
Same thing he does to wood exporters.
What is more worrisome is that the Cites Permit have been paid for, after the approval, still, the Honourable Minister deliberately and impunitiously refused to issue it, boasting that nothing will happen.
The general public is calling on the President to call Mallam Balarabe Abass Lawal the Honourable Minister For Environment to immediately issue and release the Cites and other Permits that have gone through the necessary processess of approval for businesses to thrive in order to grow our economy and our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
It should also be noted that the Reptiles in question is listed in CITES Appendix III and our own domesticated law in Appendix II. THEY ARE NON ENDANGERED SPECIES AND ARE TAKEN FROM THE WILD.
Find attached few documents that the Honourable Minister is denying approval.
More details loading…..
