Fayemi Canvasses Joint Efforts Against Ecological Problem

Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi has called for concerted joint effort between federal, State and Local governments in order to curb the scourge of erosion which is a bane to development in most parts of Nigeria.

The Governor who described erosion as a major effect of climate change said if swift action is not taken, there is a high risk that lives may be lost to the disaster; adding that this necessitated the channelisation projects which his administration is doing in certain communities.

“The scourge of climate change is what we are dealing with around the globe; it is just that we are alive to the challenges that we face here because in many of our constituencies and communities, if immediate action is not taken, we run the risk of losing lives; we run the risk of our home springs overrun by water particularly during the raining season and what we are doing is to take steps in order to protect both life and property,” Fayemi said.

Speaking during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise which saw the Governor and key officials of government especially from the Ministry of the Environment in communities affected by erosion in Ikole local government area of the State, Dr. Fayemi said his administration was extremely concerned about the danger that erosion poses hence the inspection of the areas so that government would know how to tackle the problem.

The Governor added that there are no fewer than twenty on-going channelisation projects across the State to curb the menace, even as the Federal Government is also assisting the State with seven other channelisation projects.

“All  around the State,  we have at least no fewer than 20 channelisation projects going on right now and there is a lot more. Erosion is a major challenge; our situation is not as horrible as some other parts of the country but it is precisely because we want to curb the scourge that we are taking the steps we are taking now.

“The federal government has taken some steps; I think the federal government is already working on about six or seven sites that we highlighted when we visited Abuja. Some progress is being made but we also have our own duties and the local government has its own duties. So if we all work in a concerted manner we will arrest the scourge of erosion and ecological problems in our State,” Fayemi submitted.