Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has called on Nigerians to shun activities capable of destroying the environment. The advice was given during an enlightenment programme in Orile-Agege and Agboyi Ketu communities in Lagos State, organised by African Activists for Climate Change Justice (AACJ), in partnership with OXFAM.
Speaking with newsmen, HEDA’s programme consultant, Sina Odungbemi, urged citizens to realise that there is a sharp change in environmental chemistry as a result of climate change.
“Those, who are versed in science, will tell us that there are chemical reactions that are as a result of activities of man generally, and these activities are capable of creating threats to the climate. For example, in some areas, there is a glacier dam play of water. Water is flooding some parts of the world. In some parts of the world, there is shortage of water. All these things are as a result of activities of human beings,” he said.
Odungbemi counselled that citizens should be conscious of the way they treat their environment, stating: “If you pollute your environment, you are going to live in a polluted environment, if you downgrade your environment, you are going to live in a downgraded environment.”
Funmi Jola Ajayi of the Community Women Initiative advised communities to keep their surroundings clean and avoid disposing their waste in drainages. She urged citizens to always abide by extant environmental laws.
Besides, an actor, Kayode Olasehinde (popularly known as Pa James), pleaded with communities to make their environment neat to contain disasters. The Alayige of Orile-Agege Kingdom, Oba Alayeluwa Ambaliu Hakeem Agbedeyi II, applauded the organisation for the sensitization, imploring the settlement to promote cleanliness.
