Warri (Delta) – An environmentalist, Mr Sherif Mulade, has called on traditional and community leaders in Niger Delta to educate their people on the dangers of polluting the environment through illegal bunkering.
Mulade, the National Coordinator of an NGO, Centre for Peace and Environmental Justice, (CEPEJ) made the call on Tuesday in Warri in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He also advised the monarchs not to give traditional titles to questionable characters and those who acquire ill gotten wealth from oil theft.
The environmentalist urged the people to assist the security agencies in their onslaught against illegal bunkering and oil theft to save the environment from further damage.
Assisting the security agencies he declared, would fast track the quest to eradicate oil theft and reduce environmental degradation in the region.
Mulade said: “to say that the environment in the Niger Delta has been destroyed as a result of oil spill is merely restating the obvious.
“The people, especially in coastal communities have been left in quandary as their major occupations; mainly fishing and farming have been eroded.
“Farmlands have been rendered infertile, rivers and seas have lost valuable fish stock.
“Illegal bunkering and oil theft are killing our environment and the consequences are tremendous.
“It is instructive to note that the environment is our heritage; as such it should be protected and preserved for future generation.
“The devastation of the environment by illegal bunkering calls for urgent measures to restore it to its pristine nature.”
He said that incessant oil spill constituted nuisance to both the environment and humans.
Mulade warned that destroying the environment might lead to serious health crises in the region if urgent step was not taken to tackle the menace.
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The environmentalist urged the government to create viable environmental regulation framework to check the abuse of the environment by corporate bodies and individuals. (NAN)