A climate activist, Emeka Obasi Jr, has called on the Federal Government to hasten efforts to complete the Ogoni Clean Up exercise. Obasi said this during a media launch of an environment NGO, ‘Our Tomorrow’, which he founded.
Lamenting the threat which climate change possesses to the continent of Africa, Obasi said that the NGO is meant to increase awareness among the youth on environmental issues including climate change and mobilise the youth to take action.
At a briefing held at the University of Lagos, Obasi said, “Last week I travelled to Rivers State to visualise, assess and raise awareness about the effects of environmental degradation in the state. Rivers State has experienced persistent soot in recent years and I witnessed this first hand. I went down to Ogoniland, Gokana LGA, K-Dere town to observe an oil spill caused by a pipeline that had burst several years earlier. The people of Bodo town complained bitterly about their situation and the lack of government action taken to address their situation.
“Their means of livelihood which revolved around fishing and farming has been destroyed by the environmental degradation caused by the oil spill. I want to use this platform to call on the Federal Government and other parties involved to help the people of K-Dere town by completing the Ogoni clean up exercise.
Adipolo
Speaking about his vision for ‘Our Tomorrow’, Obasi said, “I want to make every African youth an effective voice for a safer environment and I have resolved to contribute my own quota towards the global push to create a more sustainable, safer, cleaner and healthier environment for the future by setting up an NGO, ‘Our Tomorrow’ I am committed to getting the youth of Africa to commit to this noble endeavour.”
He noted that ‘Our Tomorrow’ has a broad three-point agenda which is “To wake up the African youth to the reality of the existential threat climate change poses to their future.
“ To sensitise African leaders, both at the government, corporate and non-governmental levels, to heed the clarion call for sustained action against climate change, and “To mobilise resources, both material and human, to campaign and create sustained awareness of Africans, especially the youth on the need to be actively involved in the battle to save the environment for their future.”
Obasi added, “My target is to mobilise the teeming numbers of the youth of Africa to achieve a critical mass of climate change advocates, whose voices will resonate loudly and clearly and catalyse positive action. We will use the awesome power of social media to create this unstoppable army and empower their voices in every country in Africa.
“It is important that young people become involved in the global effort to ensure that the Earth is in a fit and proper condition to constitute a worthwhile inheritance. Therefore, the effort to improve the environment should be championed by the youth because the world of tomorrow belongs to us.
“Our continent is being ravaged by multinational corporations which are extracting resources without adequate consideration for the environment. The youth of Africa must rise up against this injustice and save the environment for our tomorrow.”
Credit: Tribune
