World Environment Day: Stakeholders ponder in Africa’s largest mega city

By Dotun Ibiwoye

Despite the 21 million  inhabitants in Lagos, Africa’s biggest mega city, the World Environment Day, WED, 2015 was celebrated last weekend and several possibilities on environmental sustainability was expected in the state.

Several Stakeholders converged and deliberated on how to protect the environment and sustain the ecosystem for the future generations at the celebration of WED organized Ecologistics Integrated Services Ltd at Oriental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos.

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), disclosed that environmental degradation and pollution is not akin to the illiterates but the elites in the society are also culprits.

According to LASEPA’s General Manager, Mr Adebola Shabi, when there are heaps of refuse on th ground, it will affect the underground water. This is also an environmental element that reduces the quality of our natural water.

Shabi noted that everybody knows the law and knows that it is against the law to dumb refuse on the road in the river and the canal but the elites constantly engage in this act.

He also affirmed that Lagos is the cleanest state in Nigeria and Aba, in Abia State the dirtiest state is Nigeria.

“When the Lagos state government started the Private Sector Participation (PSP) in Solid Waste Management Practices in Lagos some years ago, several residents were against it. But today, Lagos is the cleanest state in Nigeria and Aba, in Abia State the dirtiest state is Nigeria.

We only achieved this through the PSP and proper management of our environment despite the huge population, he said

“You are not going to blame the government on everything that is causing a problem. Government is giving us bags and waste bins for free and most of us do not pay. When there are heaps of refuse, it will affect the underground water. This is also an environmental element that reduces the quality of our natural water.

“Everybody knows the law and we all know it is against the law to dumb refuse on the road in the river, canal etc but we all do it. Is that a fault of the government? Are we protecting or safeguarding the environment for the next generation but we are not doing enough. When wast collectors come to our area we don’t pay them. When it is raining we throw our refuse in the gutter. We constantly see rich people throw their gabbage on the street.

The LASEPA boss added: “So environmental degradation and pollution is not akin to the illiterates but the elites are also culprits. Lagos state government is spending billions of naira to dredge the canals. We need to give love to the environment. I want my great grandchildren to be in a better environment.

On social classification of people living in Lagos, the ageny’s helmsman said that the people living in suburbs and slums pay their bills and encourage the environmental protection agencies more than their counterpart in high brow areas in Lagos.

He also said that the rich people are destroying the environment with their carefree attitude.

“When we also started planting tree we were also accused of wasting government money. We have all seen the advantages it gives when we travel abroad. Planting of trees is means of reducing noise pollution and flooding.

According to the organizer of the event and President of Ecologistics Integrated Services Ltd, Dr. Paul Abolo the environment is speaking to us that we are abusing it.

“Everyone in the world is in a relation with the environment and a time will come when this relationship will breakdown. So everyone needs to make sure that this relationship continues”

Abolo said that sustainable consumption and production means using resources either to bring one satisfaction without necessarily using that resource in such a way that would cause problems to the user, other people or the environment; and using it in such a way that it is not going to be wasteful.

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Vanguard News