The contractor handling the N9.2 billion worth of clean cooking stoves and wonder bags awarded by the former administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, has dragged the Federal Government to court.

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Fatima Mede, who disclosed this on Tuesday shortly after briefing President Muhammadu Buhari of the ministry’s activities inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja said the contractor approached the court to order the government not to terminate the contract following the emergence of the present administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan had on November 26, 2014 approved N9.2 billion inclusive of Value Added Tax for the procurement of 750,000 units of clean cooking stoves and 18,000 wonder bags, the contract which was awarded in favor of Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Services Limited.

The present administration had called to terminate the contract.

Confirming the legal action, Mede, said the ministry had briefed the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation on the development adding that the government would appear before the court to argue its case.

She however didn’t disclose if there were plans to terminate the contract. “The matter is in court right now, so there is a limit to how I can talk about the issue of cooking stove.

“The contractor took government to court asking the court to grant an injunction for government not to terminate the contract. We will go there and argue our case, the government will go, we have briefed the Attorney-General’s office.

“We will present our case on the issue that led to the contractor taking us to court, it will be explained and the court will decide,” she said.

Mede said Buhari raised concerns over environmental degradation in the country adding that he was aware that the sustainability of the country would depend on how well the environment was managed.

 

She said Buhari had directed that to reduce the rate at which wood was being cut down as fuel for cooking, the ministry should consider promoting the use of cooking gas especially in the cities.

“For instance, if everybody in Abuja is using LPG to cook, the rate at which people cut down wood to sell will be reduced.

“The President is also concerned about the fact that Lake Chad is receding from the 33,000 square kilometres about two decades ago to just 300 square kilometres which has affected the farmers, fishermen and the livelihood of the people around that area.

“So, he has directed that we should go and look at the report that was submitted in 1920 about how to prevent Lake Chad from drying up, so that the communities around, even border communities, including the countries benefiting from activities of fishermen and livelihood, based on Lake Chad are not affected.

“So, he has directed that we should bring up that report immediately and see how we can promote the use of LPG to reduce the rate at which trees are being cut down.

“He was also concerned about the level of environmental management, solid waste, erosion control, pollution, air quality, climate change, the general environmental situation in the country,” she stated.