In a bid to ensure a healthier, greener and cleaner environment in Lagos, a Non-government organisation, EKO Occupational Safety, Health and Environment has launched aggressive campaign and advocacy on the planting of one million trees in the next ten years across the metropolis.
Equally, the group is demanding that residents should play active role in policing the environment against open defecation and all other acts in violation of the state environmental laws.
The Executive Programme Director of EKO Occupational Safety, Health and Environment, Ogboni Fouad Oki gave this indication during the virtual meeting with the Media Executives on the statewide campaign and advocacy.
He explained that the mission of the group is to return Lagos to its old glory of greener, aesthetic and serene environment assuring of their determination to confronting the challenges headlong.
According to him, the target of EKO Occupational Safety, Health and Environment is to plant a minimum of 100,000 trees yearly noting that their intention to also plant10,000 before the July 15th World Environment Day is very much on course.
Fouad Oki was of the view that the current issue at hand is a matter of survival and existence for every Lagos resident adding that the challenges confronting us today was a result of years of deliberate abuse of the environment and warned that we may be all consumed if not checked.
To reverse the worrisome trend, the convener of the group canvassed for voluntary regular tree planting by huge number of residents, inculcate the culture in Tertiary institutions, public schools in the state, include such in the curriculum and teach Children from age 5 the need to be friendly with the environment.
He strongly beleives that if all the recommendations are achieved, it will bring back Lagos of old era of the forties to the seventies where Surulere reminiscent of the urban city.
Fouad Oki also hinted that for almost nine months with support from experts, the planting exercise had commenced on Ikorodu road inward Ojota, Third Mainland Bridge to International Airport, Fadeyi to Victoria Island and Lekki, National Arts Theatre to Badagry.
He added that about 15,000 different species of Trees have been provided by IITA Ibadan while the group enjoyed support from the Lagos Conservation Society and Yabatech School of Agriculture towards achieving the set objectives.
Oki who expressed his reservation over the neglect of the environment by the Lagos State Government in the construction of the link bridge around Odo Iya Alaro and Opebi however allayed the fears of any conflict with the state in the implementation of the project.
