Odey Tasks Churches On Environment

The Minister of Environment, Mr John Odey has asked the church in Nigeria to rise up against the destruction of the environment, human rights abuses and the exploitation of the country’s natural wealth which ends up impoverishing the people.

In a speech titled, “Sustainable Development and Environmental Protection: Federal Government Policy Thrusts and the Role of the Church,” at the 22nd Theology week of the Catholic Institute of West Africa (CIWA), Port Harcourt, last week, Odey said the church should hearken to the call to protect God’s creation, consider their witness to Christ through preaching the need for people to renew their respect for the creator and His creation.

“I wish to re-emphasise that issues relating to environmental degradation, climate change, biodiversity destruction, natural resource extraction, gender and conflicts, social and environmental justice have caught up with us and become too important to be ignored.

“The voice of the Christian family had not been as strong as expected of people whose faith demands that they protect nature as God instructed us in Genesis 2:15, to cultivate and care for God’s creation”, he said.

The Minister who was represented by Dr. Samuel  Adejumo of the Federal Ministry of Environment said while the federal government is implementing all policies concerning environmental protection and sustainable development, the church need to support government’s effort by making environmental sustainability a priority.

He noted that the federal government had taken a member of steps to address various environment problems in the country like the establishment of the  Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA), formulation of National Policy on Environment with the overall goal of achieving sustainable development, establishment of the Federal Ministry of Environment, establishment of National Environmental Standard Regulatory Agency (NESREA), amongs other.

He said the focus of the government policy is to ensure a safe and healthy environment that secures the economic and social-well-being of Nigerians on a sustainable basis.