An environmental group, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), has taken a swipe at the Nigerian government for ignoring the catastrophic impacts of climate change in the country.
This is as the country joined the rest of the world to celebrate this year’s Earth Day.
In a statement to mark the day, HOMEF’s Executive Director, Nnimmo Bassey, said that global leaders were more ready to invest in destructive activities than to invest in climate action.
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In the statement released by the group’s Media/Communication Lead, Kome Odhomor, Bassey said that in Nigeria and the rest of Africa, people tend to believe that if other regions gained by polluting the atmosphere, they must exercise the right to pollute to attain their level of so-called progress.
“The International Mother Earth Day’s theme this year urges us to ‘Invest In Our Planet’ as a means to building a liveable future for humans, other beings and natural systems,” he said.
Speaking further, Bassey said that Earth Day was a day for everyone to decide to be active ecological defenders in their communities.
“Part of what we must reject is risky agricultural genetic engineering because it erodes our biodiversity and thus negatively impact our environment,” he said. “Do not engage in polluting activities such as destructive mining, oil theft, deforestation, and other wasteful actions. Reject single-use plastics.”
Story was adapted from the Nation.
