Organization calls on Government to rescale actions on plastics pollution

As the globe commemorates the 2023 World Environment Day, a call to reduce plastic pollution tops the agenda during a conference organized by Caritas Nigeria, a nongovernmental organization of the Catholic Church, at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Abuja, the nation’s capital.

With the theme: “Solution to Plastic Pollution” the Executive Director, Caritas Nigeria, Reverend Father Uchechukwu Obodoechina, expressed the Organization’s readiness to collaborate with government at all levels in the fight against Plastic Materials as they disrupt the environment and cause a lot of harm to the people.

Fr. Obodoechina also called for citizen’s active participation as part of an effort to curb the effect of plastic materials on the environment.

“It is important for citizens also to play their part well by keeping their own environments clean, respecting the waterways, allowing the water to pass as required while the government has the obligation to ensure that the wellbeing of its citizens remain topmost in its priority” he said.

The Conference is in response to the call by Pope Francis in 2015 to Care for the environment, and make it a habitable home.

Caritas Nigeria also conducted a Survey on the use of Plastic materials in the immediate surroundings of Durumi axis of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja prior to this.

The Executive Director said the survey revealed that Plastic Materials cause a lot of harm to People, Animals, as well as soil, Water and Air.

He also calls for measures to be put place to control the hazards posed by the use of plastic materials in the country.

“Our experience here tells us that we are always and everywhere in this country using plastics, pure water, bottled water all of that and these are also dangerous for the environment and that is why we are thinking today of the need to collaborate, how we will come together to brainstorm upon one another to see how we will be able live with plastic because it’s not going to be easy to say we are not going to use plastics at all. But if we use them, how do we use them, how do we beginning to dispose them to save the hazards on the environment”.

“We are confident that Caritas Nigeria will not be able alone to effect the desired change, that is why we appeal for collaboration of government at all levels and other relevant bodies as well as involving the citizen’s participation”. he remarked

Also, with regards to the Survey carried out by Caritas Nigeria which is evidence based advocacy, the Head, Environmental Unit of Caritas Nigeria, Mr. Emmanuel Okechukwu, speaks on management of Plastic Materials.