By Anita Chukwuma
The Permanent Secretary in the Delta State Ministry Of Environment, Dr. Mrs Mininie Oseji, has led some staff of the ministry to the Life And Power Christian Assembly in Asaba Oshimili South Local Government Area for awareness campaign on clean environment.
Dr. Oseji said that it was the second time she had the opportunity to sensitise pentecostal churches, adding that she was privileged to sensitise members of the Pentecostal Fellowship Of Nigeria (PFN) who would also take back the campaign to their various churches.
She stated that she wanted churches to join hands with the state government to enlighten members and non members on how to separate pet bottles and others for recycling and would be paid for, adding that other waste should be bagged before disposing same into waste bins for appropriate disposal by Private Sector Participants (PSP) at government approved dump sites.
She said people should patronise the Private Sector Participants, pay their bills and stop engaging illegal waste collectors that disposed refused illegally; thereby, defacing the environment.
“When the environment is dirty, investors will not come and invest. Dirty environment causes outbreak of diseases. The ministry has engaged Peace Corps and other groups to apprehend perons dumping waste illegally,” she said.
Dr. Oseji further stated that 20 metres away from one’s premises was one’s responsibilities to clean; failure of which would attract sanctions in line with sanitation law.
She also advised all to have a copy of the Sanitation Law that was published on Friday 11, 2022 in The Pointer Newspaper, and watch jingles on clean environment.
Pastor Charles Chinwendu appreciated the effort of the State Governor, Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, for ensuring that the environment was clean, saying that the State Ministry Of Environment evacuated some illegal dump sites at Bonssac, just as he requested that the state government should help the residents of Bonssac to tackle the issue of flooding, as one of the reasons illegal dumpsite were at Bonsaac was that most residents could not avoid to pay the bills of evacuation of refuse.
The Health Officer, Mrs. Faith Onyeugbon, said they should avoid dumping of buckets wastes illegally, that it would deface the environment, cause unpleasant odours and outbreak of epidemic.
She added that people should stop burning wastes to avoid health and environmental hazards.
Dr. Dave Eyowei, Chairman PFN, Oshimili South Local Government Area, in his vote of thanks appreciated the State Ministry Of Environment for creating the awareness on how to keep the environment clean, adding that every pastor represented there would sensitise members of their churches, just as he said that they would cooperate with the state government to keep the environment clean.
