Bennett Oghifo
2 May 2005
Lagos — The Centre for Envi-ronmental Mana-gemen in Africa, (CEMA), a non-governmental organisation, has kicked off a cleaning and education campaign programme to sanitize Lagos and its environs.
The programme, which took off from Ojota, an entry point to the city, would cut across 20 communities in Lagos, in the next few months, said Mr. Chidi Nwachukwu, CEMA President, at the weekend.
The programme, which is also aimed at curtailing insect related diseases, would be facilitated with stickers bearing information on how various diseases emanating from dirty environment could be controlled, especially malaria, which claims thousands of lives daily in the country.
The organisation said that most Nigerians desire a clean environment, but that they are not prepared to dispose their sweet wrappers, 'moi moi' foils or telephone recharge cards properly. "This is why the organisation believes that Kick Against Indiscipline should not just be an environmental tax force that would coerce people towards a clean environment, but should sensitize them on the negative psychological impact of dirty environment on the individual and the nation. Government should also take environment enlightenment programme to nursery, primary and secondary schools in the state so as to imbibe the values into their system at a formative stage," CEMA said.
The group said government should also consider the economic condition of the people, because it directly impacts on how they relate to the environment.
"Inability to feed three square meals daily only makes the issue of clean environment a secondary matter on the value list of an individaul".
The congestion in Lagos, it said, has led to a charged environment where the "value of life has painfully depreciated", adding that most companies have neglected their social environmental responsibility, "some of them, despite the poor condition of where they operate, have refused to improve such places".
CEMA, however, commended the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Tunji Bello, for the grand efforts he is making to keep the state clean at all times.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2005 This Day. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
