Emmanuel Ogar|25 April 2016|8:07am
A man without his polis is not a man. What makes a man what he is, isn’t anything from the blues but his environment. They are vertically and horizontally connected to each other. They both exert pressure on one another. It would amount to chasing the shadow to differentiate a man without his polis. They are both function and derivative of themselves. Man was made from the environment (dust); though in the image and similitude of God. The chemistry behind this elucidation is that the residue of man is earth when the spirit and soul are gone. Sure, Bible scholars wouldn’t bandy words with the writer on this— but surely, an extract of few evolutionists of Darwinism school of thought would.
One of the first tasks reposed on man by his creator was to replenish (fill or refill) the earth (environment). The Maker of the universe didn’t err by bestowing this sacrosanct duty on His creation. No wonder, Abraham Lincoln in his word on marble said: “man owes his immediate environment a solemn duty of leaving it better than he met it”. Not many men understand the importance and the encumbrances of replenishing the earth. And only infinitesimal few are really concerned about the sustainability of the environment.
While proactive government and non-governmental organizations, NGOs at world over are continually investing, pioneering a new frontier by enacting sound legislations that would enhance the protection and preservation of the environment, others seemed to be entangled in the fetters of parochialism and in outright nonchalance. Top on their agenda is politics of prebendalism and pitiably, o’kamama re’mama.
In Calabar, the seat of power of Cross River State—the peoples’ paradise. A once beautiful; well-ordered and most cleanest state capital in Nigeria under the superintendence of Mr. Donald Duke and Sen. Liyel Imoke is now shamefully competing for the first position of the most dirtiest state capital with Aba, a reputable dirty town in Abia State. Too bad! Most of our streets are in ominous state of pseudo-macadamism. There are steep in proclivity and declivitous in miry mess.
A stroll or a drive through few streets in the metropolis would imprint on every inquisitive mind a quaggy experience. The questions that would naturally erupts from beneath the soul after such boggy walk would be: “does the state have agencies responsible for the protection and preservation of the environment?” Neither the governor nor CUDA has ample answer to the question above.
Interestingly, the governor, Prof. Ben Ayade as we were told is an environmental microbiologist and his deputy, Prof. Ivara Ejemot, is a renowned soil scientist. If the duo of these scholars that are supposedly well-equipped with environmental knowledge would frolicly and flagrantly demonstrate acts of ineptitudes on the matter of environmental sustainability, then, I’m afraid for the generations yet to come.
Graciously, the state is blessed with a governor that is always garbed in savvy and swags. He is a clean man. But the state he governs is in quagmire and enveloped in a spiral chains of stench. When I wrote lately that lunatics, psychologically divergent and scavengers were deserting the refuse dump due to their health, and that a pregnant woman who went to depose her dirt gave birth prematurely as a result of the pungent odour emanating from there; I was pulled to pieces for over exaggeration by few of my readers.
Virtually, all the markets in Calabar are dirty, not conducive for market settings and growing with towering rubbish. Seeing, I was told is believing. Go to Watt market; Goldie small-gate market, Marian and Uwanse market and see for yourself. Most of the food stuff are contaminated. Please, you may go with your goggle and perhaps nose mask for your viewing pleasure. Terms and conditions are involved. Take notice of the fact that, I’m not liable for any unpalatable experience whatsoever, during and after you might observed. Safe journey!
The result of the research I conducted in my undergraduate studies few years ago under environmental physics showed that Cross River State has as of then the purest atmospheric air in Nigeria. For the now, I don’t think so because of a number of factors militating against the variables that enhances fresh air are now rampantly exalted.
Under this administration, Calabar stinks. Don’t ask why or how! Just wait! The relay conduit of odour is air. Therefore, odour is perceived through the inhaling of polluted air. Please take cognizance of the established fact that the environment actually consists of atmosphere; biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere etc. Taking into consideration the atmosphere which is mainly air, there will be no room for wrangling that it has high susceptibility of being polluted more than any constituents of the earth. If this regime finds it cumbersome to keep our environment clean, it is no crime to ask questions. It is advisable for this government to go ask her predecessors how they were able to keep Calabar clean.
There are major impacts (effects) of numerous activities that causes air pollution. Before we talk on that, let us take a cursory look on the definition of air pollution by World Bank. In 1978, World Bank postulated that the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more contaminants such as dust; gas, odour, mist, vapour or smoke in such quantities, characteristics and duration as to make them actually or potentially injurious to human, plant, or animal life or to property, or which unreasonably interfere with the comfortable enjoyment of life and property is simply known as air pollution.
The refuse heaps on our neighbourhood after being acted upon by the enzymatic and bacterial actions, it decays, fermented and thereafter diffused into the atmosphere which by osmotic circulatory processes, obnoxious stench is freely expelled into our olfactory lobes. Unfriendly as this menace is, residents of Calabar are so unfortunate to have her as their daily companion pending when it would be over. Maybe after 2019 or better still before then if the litigation that dangles on the governor’s neck weighed him off the successful surfing of the crest and trough of power as permutated by a plethora of political pundits.
I see why UCTH is flooded with patients suffering from all manners of cardiovascular ailments. The message couldn’t have been better succinctly transmitted than through the pictures inset.
Again, on the saga overwhelming the 260km Super Highway road, the governor and his team of administrators has demonstrated how shabby the project was hurriedly conceived and how it would have been done if not for the swift intervention of the federal government.
One expects that before such monumental project is done, a proper Environmental Impacts Assessment (EIA) which components includes: land, water, air, all organic and inorganic matter must be ascertained. Environmental Inventory outlining the variables that represent the characteristic environmental impacts on the geology, topography, climate, surface water and ground water and others must be scientifically studied and analyzed. Does the governor understand or better still considered the Environmental Impacts Statement (EIS) before the project proper? Did the state government engage the services of reputable consultancy firms regarding the Environmental Evaluation Report (EER)? Do you need the services of a soothsayer on this? No! They never did!
One of the problems choking the rapid development of most African countries is that; they got good ideas but lack wisdom of executing them. The one under scrutiny is extemporaneously conceived. We could clearly see and as well feel the impromptu in the implementing of the project. There is an offhand environmental monitoring with a see-through synthesis of a monitored parameters which ought not to be so. It actually supposed to be a careful, systematic observation and measurement of the aforementioned variables under the precinct of space and time.
Without contemplation, we need not be reminded that this administration has a special knack and panache for infrastructural development. But her Achilles’ heel since taking reins is the handling of pertinent environmental challenges with child’s gloves. It also follows by the media hype of tactically drawing a red-herring across the trail over issue of great importance.
Recently, I read in the News concerning the actions plan of Cross River State government on REDD+ (reducing emission from deforestation and forest degradation) policies. The governor air-out that his administration was promulgating stringent legislations that would put an embargo on the use of woods for roofing houses but the use of iron-sheet or steel. According to him, with such measures, deforestation would be drastically reduced. That is absolutely correct. My pain is: how many people would afford iron-sheet for roofing? One might not be wrong to opine that if such legislation is entered into force without subsidization, the indigents and low income-earners may not have roofs over their heads.
The Super Highway; Deep seaport, garment factory and the host of other laudable projects of this government are people oriented. But we mustn’t embark on projects that will cause more harm than good to the people because someone want them hastily done. Let our ventures not be measured on the short-term gains, but considered on the futuristic impacts on life and property.
Before projects are carried out, it’s commonsensical that an all-embracing and scientific consideration of the potential impacts on the physical, cultural, socioeconomic aspect and the ecosystem of the environment are carefully considered. This government has failed severally to adhere to these measures.
Greetings Mr. spick-and-span.
God bless our leaders!
Comr. Ogar, Emmanuel Oko
Coordinates YANCRiD and MLCEW
Environmental Physicist.
