Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), the ecological think tank has called on the federal government to give the issue of pollution the seriousness it deserves due to the horrendous impacts it has on the health and livelihood of the peoples.
HOMEF Director, Nnimmo Bassey in a statement on Tuesday, in Abuja to mark this year’s World Environment Day with the theme Beat Air Pollution, urged the government to find a lasting solutions to the menace of air pollution in Nigeria, especially in the Niger Delta region where extractive activities have led to various environmental challenges and health problems such as cardiovascular heart diseases, bronchitis, asthma, birth defects, skin rashes, lung cancer, amongst others.
He said air pollution is a menace to human health and livelihood
Nnimmo said, “Air pollution is caused by various factors with a large contribution from extractive activities especially through gas flares, burning of crude oil by illegal refiners and the burning of some of these illegal refineries by security operatives. Other sources include open burning of solid wastes, decrepit automobiles, electricity generators, industries, dusts from cement factories and soot from the use of inefficient cooking stoves paired with solid fuels.
“Almost all pollution-related deaths (92%) occur in low and middle-income countries across the world and in rapidly industrializing countries. Air pollution is linked to about 7 million premature deaths worldwide every year, including 600,000 children. Poorer countries in Africa and Asia are the worst impacted.”
Nnimmo Bassey further stated his regret that air quality standards are not rigorously monitored and strictly enforced.
He decried the persistence of soot in Port Harcourt, Rivers State and in Ekpan, Delta State, and the fact that nothing has been done to halt the menace or even to warn the citizens of the great danger they are exposed to.
Bassey urged the government to give the issue of pollution the seriousness it deserves due to the horrendous impacts it has on the health and livelihood of our peoples.
Cadmus Atake-Enade, HOMEF’s Project Officer on Fossil Politics added that air pollution is a silent killer and needs to be taken seriously by all levels of government.
