24th February, 2017
The Lagos State Government has charged big industries operating in the state to make pragmatic efforts to halt pollution.
Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Benson Oke gave this charge on Thursday at the opening session of a 2-day workshop tagged: ‘Strategic Communication for a Clean Lagos,’ organized by the ministry in conjunction with Messrs. XLS Consulting at Pearlwort Hotel & Suites, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
The commissioner said that stopping pollution is a complicated issue that would take the effort of big industry as well as individual lifestyle changes, saying that there were a number of factors and practices that might not be so easily understood by the generality of the populace.
He said the need to halt pollution and ensure a clean city was the reason behind the training, asking: “how do we communicate what is at stake and what needs to be done to our people in the most effective way?”
“I am confident that this training will address these issues and equip you for the important task of being the agents and propagators of the gospel of a clean Lagos,” he said.
Oke stated that pollution affected all the elements of an ecosystem, including air, water and soil, stressing that solutions must be found to combat all types of pollution so that delicate ecosystems could thrive once again.
According to him, no one could possibly be in doubt as to the need for a clean environment, saying that the first and primary reason was for the better health of the residents and tourists.
“Hygienic environment helps us to stay fit and augurs for a longer, healthier life. The fact we all know is that mosquitoes, insects and flies carry a lot of germs and bacteria in them. They are the main transmitters of diseases like chicken pox, malaria and jaundice. We do know that these mosquitoes and pests are frequently attracted towards heaps of garbage and wastes.
“Avoidance of degradation is another benefit of a clean city. Plastic wastes and carry bags are the factors that degrade the quality of our environment. Nowadays, we find that plastic wastes enter into the stomach of animals along with other eatables, thus affecting their health which in turn affects the animal kingdom in a severe manner.
“Another benefit of keeping our cities clean is that it helps in maintaining a respectable ranking when cities are ranked. The ranking of cities is helpful in terms of employment and development opportunities. Multinational companies are attracted to set up their offices in the cities with good rankings,” he stated.