By Monday Osayande
A renowned environmentalist, Dr. Newton Jibunoh has expressed sadness over the manner Nigerian government failed to address the issue of desertification some years ago, hence the desert dry up being experienced.
Dr. Jibunoh, a Desert Warrior, expressed this when he paid a courtesy visit to the Director General of Asaba Capital Development Agency, Mrs Amaechi Mrakpor, in Asaba on Tuesday.
He said he informed some Governors in Kano then that desertification will cause war in future.
According to him, “When I met with the governors in Kano state to launch anti – desertification, I told them the need to check desertification, and they promised to replicate what I have already put in place, but up till now, nothing was done about it.
“It was my first crossing to the Sahara desert that made me to pick interest in environment. I should be rejoicing that I saw the future, but today I am not happy because nobody listened to me.”
The 82-year-old environmentalist applauded Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the Director General of Asaba Capital Development Territory, Mrs. Joan Mrakpor for the cleaning up of Asaba and its environs.
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“In the last one year, I have seen a lot of changes in Asaba capital territory; environment is not something that you cannot quantify with money. When environment is clean, everybody benefits from it”, he added.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu said the Agency has transformed Asaba to the benefits of all, referring it to urban renewal.
He said, “The new face of Asaba has inspired the capital territory to put in more effort to clean up the area.” We value your contribution in respect of environment.
“What the capital territory is doing is for the interest of all.”
The Director-General of the Agency, Mrakpor while responding said the problem of Nigeria was the enforcement of the law not the law itself. We have enough law in this country.
She said the Agency is out “to make people of the state to enjoy the environment. Keeping environment clean is for the benefit of everybody.”
