FG flags off new centenary environment campaign

The new campaign, which was flagged off by the Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Mrs Uche Ekwunife (Iyom) is a strategy to re-introduce and sustain on a continuous, non-step basis for the next 100 years, the long-abandoned sanitary inspection and Environmental Ethics and Safety Education in the country. The campaign is to […]

The new campaign, which was flagged off by the Chairman, Federal House of Representatives Committee on Environment, Mrs Uche Ekwunife (Iyom) is a strategy to re-introduce and sustain on a continuous, non-step basis for the next 100 years, the long-abandoned sanitary inspection and Environmental Ethics and Safety Education in the country.
The campaign is to be spearheaded jointly by the Environmental Ethics & Safety Corps (ESCORP) and Environmental Health Officers in Nigeria.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, Dr. Mrs Sarah Jibril the campaign, which is a brainchild of the Office of the Special Adviser to the President on Ethics and Values, is geared towards achieving a clean and safe environment through a modified behaviour.
Jibril who was represented by Mrs. Yeseinde Shebioba said the synergy between ESCORP and our Environmental Health Officers is not only strategic but very critical to the success of this campaign, as one will supply what the other has not.
Emenike Eme, the Corps Coordinant-General of ESCORP while presenting the draft of the project said there is need for some people to play the role of Community Sanitary Overseers, who will identify, report, enlighten and in some cases provide guidance to the people in sanitary matters in order to prevent impending environmental dangers.
In his remarks the supervising Minister of the Environment, Arch. Darius Ishaku who was represented by Mrs. Funmilayo Titilayo, the Head Environment Health and Sanitation in the ministry restated the readiness of the ministry to collaborate with bodies like ESCORP in ensuring a cleaner environment in the country.
 “As we celebrate 100 years of our nation let us vie for a cleaner environment and improve on sanitation and hygiene. The business of protecting the environment is everybodys responsibility,” she said.
She also urged other similar organisations to emulate the ESCORP and join the ministry’s partnership drive to achieve the overall goal of environmental sustainability and an improved quality of life for our citizen.
“In ensuring a cleaner environment, the role of advocacy and sensitisation of behavioural and attitudinal cannot be overemphasised therefore as they flag off this program, this is our hope that this campaign would be sustained so that it will make the necessary impact and indeed form the desired attitudinal change for a cleaner Nigeria,” she said.
Rep. Ganama Kwaga who represented Mrs Uche Ekwunife (Iyom) said the House would look into giving the corps a legal backing by making necessary laws for the corps to operate properly.
Kwaga allays fears that the corps would be duplicating the functions of other agencies of government adding that the persistent violence on the environment occasioned by man’s environmental illiteracy on one hand and the appalling lack of moral will on the other clearly underscores the importance, relevance and uniqueness of the corps.
He urged members of the corps to be active while calling on government at all levels and other stakeholders to give necessary supports to the corps to successfully execute the new centenary cleaner environment campaign.