Press Releases

Desertification: Fashola Calls For Drastic Action

Feb 29, 2008 - Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Friday called for drastic global action to combat desertification across the world saying there was need for sensitization on the dangers of the anomaly.

Fashola, while flagging off Newton Jibunoh’s Green Desert Expedition at the New Lagos House, Ikeja, warned that by remaining inactive amidst the looming danger being posed by desertification, humanity was only postponing the evil day, adding that drastic action was, therefore, urgent and vital.

The Governor who was represented at the occasion by the Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Muiz Banire, decried the human activities of tree-felling and bush-burning, saying as the major cause of desertification, the activities were endangering human habitat.

“The long-time effect of all these is poverty because of the central role land plays in human existence”, the Governor said, adding that there was need to raise public awareness on the evils of bush burning and tree felling as well as the alternative sources of fuel available to the people.

Commending Chief Newton Jibunoh for answering the clarion call to lead the campaign against desert encroachment by “taking upon himself the mission to draw global attention to the coming catastrophe”, Fashola said the Sahara Desert, being the hottest of the four categories of deserts in the world, was the right spot to sustain on the awareness campaign against the looming disaster “and hit the bull’s eye in the global effort to stop desertification”.

The Governor particularly congratulated Chief Jibunoh on the wall of trees which his organization planted in Makodo, Kano, since 2004 saying the combination of hardwood, windbreakers and fruit trees would not only help check desert encroachment but also provide for the nutritional and financial needs of the people of Kano State.

Pledging the full support of the Lagos State Government to the humanitarian gesture of Chief Jibunoh, Fashola decared, “The policy of the Lagos State Government to green the Lagos landscape and sanitize the environment of pollutants and other elements that cause emission of Green House gasses is part of our commitment to address the health hazards in store for the Mega-City of 20 million persons that Lagos State would become by the year 2020, according to the United Nations statistics”.

He said the challenges posed by desertification were “a challenge to our creativity and ingenuity as a people, as a government and as individuals in our various capacities and endeavours”.

“Dr. Jibunoh was not born an environmentalist. His unique style in complementing global efforts to combat desertification makes him a worthy ambassador of our country. We must take his awareness campaign seriously and pray that he goes and comes back safely with his crew and his mission”, the governor urged.

The Newton Jibunoh Green Desert Expedition, which took off on Friday, include Chief Newton Jibunoh, Ms Ebu Onatoye, who will report the progress of the team, Mr. Kelechi Amadi-Obi, the team photographer, Mr. Joshua, the team mechanic, Mr. Afam Ugah and Ms. Elizabeth Titi Laoye, the film producer, while Mr. Basil Okafor will co-ordinate the progress of the team from Lagos as the Mission Control Manager.