The National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA) is planning to train Nigerian Police Force personnel to promote environmental activities across the country.

The Director-General of the agency, Dr Lawrence Anukam, made the plan known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Saturday.

Anukam said the training would enhance environmental health and advance the agency`s service delivery.

He also said that the training would ease the activities of the agency toward effective operation.

According to him, the agency has a lot to do with the police in the area of enforcement because both agencies are involved in inspection.

“When the agency is going to seal an organisation which violates environmental laws the police always follow and there are some inspections we do in which we need to go with police.

“So we feel that police also should participate in our training to enable them to know more of our activities and the only way to make it effective is to carry them along.

“For that reason, we decided to develop a training programme, we have provided a training curriculum at the three levels of the police, the junior, the middle and the higher cadre.

“Incidentally, we are yet to fully carry out any of these trainings, I believe it will be a very good development.”

He noted that the new Inspector-General of the police recently expressed commitment toward the partnership with NESREA which would boost its activities.

Anukam said the agency`s department responsible for the training had already been communicating with the Education Training Department of the police.

He added that the agency’s recent seminar attended by all commandants in police colleges was to introduce them to the activities and enlighten the police on the benefits of the training.

“We will extend the programme to both the state and local levels because we want to make sure that nobody is left out. We are eager to make sure that the programme progresses.”

Anukam also said the agency would sensitise the judiciary sector to environmental activities in its efforts to promote environmental sanitation.

“The judiciary is the one that interprets the law and metes out the punishment for violators. “The judiciary needs to appreciate and be part of environmental issues as well as to achieve the set goals.

“We will also sensitise other government agencies to the importance of promoting and keeping our environment clean to protect the lives of the people.”

Anukam said that there was a need for proper planning, capacity building and sensitisation for different sectors of government to achieve desired goals.

He said the sensitisation programme, which was mandatory for all, was in line with the UN programme on environment.

The director general urged Nigerians to support the government in the promotion of the environmental sanitation by keeping the environment clean. (NAN)

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