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In a recent workshop organised by
the Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE) under the Privatization Support Project
(PSP) of the World Bank with environmental stakeholders drawn from Ports Concessionaires (tenants),
Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Federal Ministry of Environment, Housing and
Urban Development (FMEnv&UD), amongst others, a wholesome issue on Port
Environment Review System came to the fore in order to set the stage for
environmental management framework for which the port can operate in line with
sustainable environmental development. With recourse to past activities, lack
of proper environmental policy and or management by business managers and
operators has been the bane of technological development in the country which
relatively creates economic imbalance as it were.
Environmental issues have become
major global and local phenomena. It can no longer be handled with careless
abandonment. Whereas, the Privatization process offers a unique opportunity to
make strategic development decisions that effect long-term environmental,
economic and social performance and sustainability.
There is a strong link between
the environment and socio-economic development. Therefore the drive for the
global and local sustainability should be rooted in the growing recognition of
this link. Environment and economic inequities are closely interrelated.
Poverty pushes the poor into degraded lands and polluted slums, where economic
opportunities are meagre and minimal. In this confusion, desperate hopelessness
exists quite often which in turn leads to political instability. However, in
order to make economic and environmental provision for the citizenry, it
requires a holistic and comprehensive approach towards economic development and
environmental rehabilitation. Understanding this interdependence that exists
between economic and environmental concern will help in proffering sustainable
panacea to both global and local environmental challenge which in the long run
can affect both human and human activities adversely.
As it was observed that
privatization deftly handled with adequate utilization of the forces and factors
that make for thorough framework will automatically act as catalyst anywhere to
liberalize and reform our economy and society. It must be realised that the previous
and present administration laid emphasis on privatization and reform towards
economic empowerment of the citizenry to live reasonably above the poverty level.
The thought of Nigeria with
regard to the pursuance of privatization is very revealing. At the workshop, it
was disclosed that Privatisation is to improve economic performance while
reducing the burden of ownership and budgetary strain of loss making state-owned
enterprises (SOEs). It was also disclosed that the programme targets specific
priority industries and attracts investment to existing plants/enterprises. By
the process it fosters technology transfer and introduces management know-how.
Privatization however can generate environmental health, social as well as
economic benefits, and that privatization offers an opportunity to make
strategic decisions that positively effect long term economic and environmental
performance and sustainability.
However, the initial perception
of privatization and environmental issues were considered incompatible, but
experience has shown that an environmentally friendly privatization process
invariably enhances cordial relationship among the stakeholders as well as
ensures overall development and sustainability of Nigerian environment.
The essence of privatization is
to restructure, rationalize and improve the efficiency of enterprises and
services in various sectors of the economy, and to reduce the burden of public
enterprises on the treasury to enable government focus and concentrate its
resources on provision of socially oriented services like health, education,
security and infrastructural development. Under the right condition,
privatization can generate significant environmental improvements in addition
to the economic and social benefits.
Such benefits include efficient use of resources in privatized firms for
effective corporate governance and management; greater attention to waste
reduction, and increased productivity of assets; improved access to capital
which relates to increased investments in new cleaner technologies and
equipment; “regulatory freedom” which
is interpreted to mean loosened ties between government and enterprises and
between environmental regulators and regulated enterprise, which means that
economic and regulatory decisions are separated and regulatory actions to
enforce environmental legislations as requirements are no longer hampered by
pressures to protect inefficient industries.
The introduction of the reform
into every economic sector has equally been catapulted into the port
operations. Hence, the introduction of Port Environmental Review System (PERS)
with the specific role for addressing all associated environmental problems in port
operations – which Irene Chigbue (Mrs), DG of BPE refers to as “custom made
tool”. The essence of the Port Environmental Review System (PERS) is to define
the basic standard of good practice for the port sector. This also is often the
basis for operators to progress successively to more comprehensive systems such
as ISO 14001 and others. PERS also supplies the foundation for developing an
environmental management system by identifying significant issues bordering on
performance criteria. Another thing about PERS is that its review section
assists in setting objectives to improve performance on environmental issues
and or management.
The significance of the Port
Environmental Review System (PERS) in furtherance is to prepare a publicly
available environmental policy setting out strategies and methods of achieving
them, provide avenue for regular review of the plans taking into account
legislative and other changes, produce and publish an Annual Environmental
Review report, consider the monitoring requirements and how to assess their progress, establish a number of
relevant environmental indicators with targets to measure progress and consult
adequately with the local community on their environmental concern. It is also
an important response to the port sectors’ policy on self regulation and
voluntary action in dealing with its environmental liabilities and
responsibilities.
As PERS is initiated in
consonance with other environmental laws and regulations that have been enacted
by the Government, the best environmental practice will be adhered to and the
tendency for unhealthy and adverse environmental practice in the ports be
stemmed. On the long run the ultimate
desire is to achieve a situation whereby the ports operations become
environmentally self servicing and responsible.
The present democratic government
has signalled that it is no longer willing to tolerate companies in particular
and others absolving themselves of their responsibility to reduce pollution and
mitigate negative environmental and social impacts.
Segun Imohiosen
Segunimohiosen@yahoo.com
National Press Centre
Abuja
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Authors 
Posted by Robot| 04.07.2008 09:28