By Iddi Yire
Accra, Feb 28, GNA – Dr Abed-Nego Bandim, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bunkpurugu, has reiterated the pressing need for urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
He appealed to the Government to invest in climate resilience measures as part of efforts to combat climate change.
Dr Bandim made the call in his submission on the floor of Parliament during a debate on a proposal to empower the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to help in the fight against the phenomenon.
“Mr Speaker, I think it is important that in the fight against climate change, we should look at the Government’s own actions and inactions that are detrimental to its fight,” the MP said.
“Mr Speaker, there are a number of policies that the Government has embarked upon or continue to embark upon that are inimical to the fight.”
“Mr Speaker, just about two or three weeks ago, the Government, through the Ministry of Energy, went round; particularly the rural constituencies, to distribute locally made clay Coal pots for households to use.”
Mr Speaker, the question is, how did they use these coal pots? Obviously, they are going to depend on charcoal, they’re going to depend on firewood in order to use them.”
He said whereas the Government was working with the EPA to combat climate change, the same Government was promoting the use of coal pots in the countryside, encouraging the local folks to continue to fall trees, so that they could be able to survive.
Ghana was an oil and gas producing country but what percentage of the citizens used the gas to survive, he asked.
The MP said the whole of the North East Region did not have a regular supply of gas and the few gas stations there mostly did not have gas to sell to the citizenry.
“In my constituency for example, Bunkpurugu, sometimes we have to commute to Bawku or Walewale; from Bunkpurugu to Walewale in order to get gas for cooking and for commercial purposes,” he said.
“Mr Speaker, the Government needs to double its efforts to make sure that gas is made available for its citizens, so that we can stop depending on the felling of trees to survive, because it is adding to the issues of climate change”.
He said the North East Region was closer to Togo and Burkina Faso, and the residents had observed that the Sahara Desert was fast eating into the country.
“So, it is not enough to just empower the EPA with laws but the Government itself must look at its policies and where it will not help in the fight against climate change should be amended,” Dr Bandim said.
“It means, there is no coordination, there is no conversation between Government agencies. I am not sure the EPA is aware that the district assemblies and the Ministry of Energy went round doing all these things (distributing clay coal pots).’’
“I believe they would have advised them and probably given them some alternative measures that could help,” he said and advocated a national dialogue at addressing climate change.
“Mr Speaker, if you look at our transportation system, we are only relying on road transportation. There is no rail, even though the Government some time ago promised even sky trains that have not been made possible.”
He said using railways as a means of transportation between Tema Harbour to the northern part of the country and other neighbouring countries such as Burkina Faso and Mali would help reduce the destruction of the nation’s roads and the emission of gases by heavy-duty trucks.
“The stakeholders, while empowering the EPA, also need to ensure they do the right things in their board rooms.”