The Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta State and stakeholders in the sustainable development, have called on Nigerians to act healthily to save the earth from pollution, for their own good and that of the future generations.
One major reason they should act is that “The earth is the only one we have and if we destroy it, we have no other place to live in, said Doris Ogeleka, the deputy vice chancellor (administration) of the FUPRE, who represented Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, the vice chancellor, at the 2023 World Earth Day celebration organised by FUPRE Centre for Sustainable Development (FCSD) with the theme: “Environmental pollution: the elephant in the room.”
The VC explained that based on the impending danger in Nigeria, the theme was narrowed from the global theme: “Invest in the earth” and encouraged all and sundry to to treat the earth the way we treat ourselves so that all can have a better earth.
In his message, he noted that plastic pollution was becoming a great nuisance in the country, thus, he called for it to reduced to an ant as soon as possible.
Ogeleka, who spoke to BusinessDay SUNDAY
shortly after the event held at the Nelson Mandela Gardens, Asaba International Airport, advised, “Let’s stop environmental pollution and degradation, air pollution, water pollution, she said, adding, It is the same environment we live in, same air we breath, same water we drink, same land we live in, all on this earth.
“So, if the earth is treated badly, everything that we do boomerangs and comes back to us in very negative form and we don’t want that.
“Therefore, for us to enjoy the earth, we have to make sure that we do things that are healthy and then the world will become a better place for us to live in”.
She advised on the need to invest time and resources to save the earth.
“You can invest your time and resources on advocacy. You can preach and help to educate other people that don’t know the negative impact of pollution.The resources can be your time or you volunteer yourself for advocacy”.
She pointed out that in other climes, people were already doing things that are clean because they know that if they don’t do it well, they would pay fine. They are already cultured that they know they would pay huge fines or have their licenses removed but it is not so in Nigeria, she lamented.
Newton Jibunoh, founder of the Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE-Africa), who was the host and chairman of the occasion, lamented: “We can’t keep taking back from the earth without giving back to the planet.
“We have taken a lot and giving back little and that is why the planet has started fighting back in many places, resulting in natural disasters, high mortality rate as well as low life expectancy that we experience today”.
Andy Ilabor, director-general, Directorate of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Delta State, pledged the state government’s commitment in driving the global goals to ensure that no one is left behind in the state.
