BY OYE AGUNBIADE
THE HEIGHT OF DEGRADATION OF EARTH’S RESOURCES AND EXTINCTION OF VITAL SPECIES NO DOUBT CALLS FOR ATTENTION ACROSS THE GLOBE.
THIS IS WHY THE UNITED NATIONS HAD CONSISTENTLY RAISED AWARENESS EVERY YEAR ON WAYS TO PRESERVE THE ENVIRONMENT WHICH TODAY IS THREATENED MORE THAN EVER
EMPHASIS IS THEREFORE NOW BEING PLACED ON EMBRACING ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES TO PRESERVE AND MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT HEALTHY
SPEAKING ON THE THEME OF THIS YEAR’S WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY WHICH IS “CELEBRATE BIODIVERSITY” ONDO STATE COMMISSIONER FOR ENVIRONMENT, MR FUNSO ESAN WHO EXPLAINED THAT BIODIVERSITY REFERS TO EVERYTHING ONE COULD FIND ON EARTH BOTH LIVING AND NON LIVING CALLED FOR MORE AWARENESS SO THAT INDIVIDUALS COULD LIMIT THE WAY THEIR ACTIVITIES NEGATIVELY AFFECT BIODIVERSITY
MR ESAN NOTED THAT ONDO STATE GOVERNMENT WAS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY AS THE ISSUES OF FLOODING AND WASTE MANAGEMENT HAD BEEN GIVEN PRIORITY.
HE RECALLED THE ACQUISITION OF EXCAVATORS LAST YEAR BY THE GOVERNMENT WHICH HAD HELPED IN CLEARING THE WATER SURFACES TO REDUCE FLOODING NOTING THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENSURE A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT
ON HIS PART THE PERMANENT SECRETARY , ONDO STATE MINISTRY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES, MR TOKUNBO AYEJOTO LAMENTED HUMAN ACTIVITIES ESPECIALLY IN THE FORESTS WHICH HAD AFFECTED THE ENVIRONMENT NEGATIVELY.
MR AYEJOTO WHO ATTRIBUTED GLOBAL WARMING TO INCREASE IN DEFORESTRATION CALLED ON FARMERS AND TIMBER CONTRACTORS TO RESPECT ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS GUIDING THEIR ACTIVITIES
A FARMER, MR FEMI OMOLE EXPRESSED DISPLEASURE OVER THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON FARM PRODUCE AND CALLED ON GOVERNMENT TO BE PROACTIVE IN ADDRESSING INDISCRIMINATE RELEASE OF WASTE TO THE ENVIRONMENt
YOUTHS NOTED FOR THEIR HUGE ROLE IN PROTECTING THE ENVIROMMENT ALSO ADVISED NIGERIANS TO INMBIBE THE HABIT OF PLANTING TREES AND KEEPING THE ENVIRONMENT NEAT
OTHERS WHO SPOKE WITH RADIO NIGERIA WANTED THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT TO DEVISE additional MEASURES TO MAKE INDIVIDUALS TO ENSURE THE ENVIRONMENT IS PRESERVED AND NOT DEGRADED