NES Charts Path To Environmental Protection

The National President of the Nigerian Environmental Soceity  (NES), Dr. Olu Andah Wai-Ogosu, has described the environment as a living thing and that its protection is the business of everybody.

Wai-Ogosu who stated this in his office while speaking with our correspondent against the backdrop of the recent flood in Port Harcourt said the flood has created a terrible situation for everybody especially policy makers.

He said it was erroneous to believe that the flood was a result of release of water from a dam in Cameron, despite the fact that it was  empited into the River Benue.

He explained that the flood also receiving  water from Kainji and Shiroro  dams which all flow into the River Niger down the coastal state,  and that tells us about climate change” he said.

He said the challenges on ground were enormous in terms of resetting displaced persons back in their homes.

According to him, even at the makeshift camps, health and sanitation issues were rife as open defecation was a common sight.

He said even after the flood recedes, the challenge of  famine could not be ruled out as the land  have been deprived of crops like cassava, yams and plantation were not due for harvesting.

The NES boss appealed to the authorities to take proper inventory of those affected in order to avoid environmental insecurity whereby people would employ short cuts to short change genuine victims.

On why people rely so much on government for succour in periods of emergencies, Dr. Ogosu said  said government was the largest employer of labour  and as such it was its duty to create the enabling environment for industries to thrive.

“The government is always looked upon in the developing economies because it is the largest employer of  labour and has a monopoly of resources he said.

He said government has a problem of not providing the enabling environment for cottage industries to grow.

He said it was important in such events to include experts in committees to enable them have expert direction especially in the environment committees which the governments has set up.

The NES boss said it was not proper to include only politicians in such important committees but experts also to ensure the protection of the national interest in the work of such committees.

They should  be using them in specific environmental committees because the environment is the basis for everything and if we fail, to realize that the environment should be treated as a living thing, then we are reading towards the point the environment cannot sustain itself and our future generation will have to be at a loss he said.