A renowned academic and university teacher, Dr Steve Wordu, has called for sustainable environmental behaviour on the part of the people as the solution to the issues of pollution and natural resources depletion in the Niger Delta.
The university teacher, who spoke with The Tide in an interview in Port Harcourt, at the weekend, noted that the awareness of the people about healthy environmental practices was dismal, leading to shoddy environmental behaviour and practices.
He described the Niger Delta as a hydrocarbon zone, with high level of gas flaring which did not only damage the local environment but led to climate change.
Wodu who is an environmental sociologist and senior lecturer in the University of Port Harcourt, noted that despite the remediation efforts of the oil companies on pollution control issues of pollution are still prevalent in the Niger Delta, because of poor environmental education.
He said, statistics indicate that  80 per  cent of the people of Niger Delta, rely on mangrove and other forest resources as their sources of firewood because of high cost of kerosene and gas.
This he says, leads to massive deforestation of mangrove and  trees which are critical to shoreline  protection.
Apart from the deforestation of the mangrove he said, the Niger Delta region was also prone to indiscriminate burning of its natural resources through illegal bunkering activities, burning of tyres which led to the black soot crisis experienced in the area in the recent past.
He noted that such indiscriminate burning of natural resources has led to the destruction of aquatic life and degradation of the fragile ecosystem.
He also attributed the recent flooding experienced in Port Harcourt and other parts of the state to poor environmental practices like dumping of refuse in drainages and building on water ways.
Wordu called for change of attitude and environmental behaviour on the part of the people noting that “the environment is man’s first right and any damage done to the environment is defilement of the dignity of man”.
He called for concerted efforts on the part of all stakeholders towards proper environmental education especially at the community level where environmental awareness campaign was very  low.  Ironically, he noted that these communities were the  major victims of environmental pollution and gas flaring, which dispossess them of their natural means of existence.
Wordu, further advocated for the creation of “entrepreneural infrastructure” in the communities by the government and the oil companies to promote wealth creation and genuine economic activities, among the youths and divert their attention from criminal activities.
On the present restructuring of the country, the University Don and analyst, said Nigeria has always been restructuring in its chequered political history, but blamed the leadership of the country for the present constitutional crisis that hampered the smooth running of democracy.
He called for fiscal federalism and community ownership of resources as the panacea for Nigeria Sustainable economic grow

Taneh Beemene