Akeredolu deplores the deaths of children caused by pollution in N’Delta

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has lamented the devastating effects of pollution, erosion and flooding on the people of the Niger Delta, saying environmental degradation has led to the death of several children in the region.

Akeredolu stated this during the commissioning and handover of erosion control and road improvement works by the Ondo State Government at the Owo State Council over the weekend.

He said the flood had caused serious pollution, a decline in agricultural production and the premature death of children, noting that intervention and ending erosion and roadworks had changed the situation.

Akeredolu, who commended the federal government and all stakeholders for the effort, said the state government was equipping its Ministry of Environment with the necessary tools to control the crippling efforts of pollution and other ecological challenges.

Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Oladunni Odu, who represented the governor, said 3,000 km of flood-prone areas had been drained and concreting had been completed to normalize roads in major towns to improve the situation in other areas of the state.

President Muhammadu Buhari, while launching the project, expressed the government’s willingness to continue implementing policies that would help address and make them more relevant to the challenges facing the people of the Niger Delta.

Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of State for Niger Delta Affairs, Omotayo Alasoadur, noted that the Flooded Areas/Road Erosion Control Project was one of the ecological intervention projects that the Federal Government approved and implemented through the Office of the Secretary of the Ecological Fund to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) for residents of Owo and the surrounding area.

“The implementation of the project highlights my administration’s efforts to advance government policy and ensures that no part of the country is neglected due to geographical location or political considerations.

“The completion of this project shows my determination and sincerity in striving to solve problems affecting citizens and give them meaning in their lives,” he added.

Buhari also praised all those involved in the process, noting that the completion of the project would bring great relief to the community that has long been grappling with environmental challenges.

In his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Abuja Ecological Fund Office, Dr. Habiba Lawal, who was also represented at the event, noted that the erosion control work was initiated by the late Oba David Folagbade Olateru Olagbegi in order to check the constant erosion and flooding and other ecological challenges in Owo and surrounding areas to avoid further environmental degradation as well as loss of life and property.