Lorine Emenike
A former vice-chancellor of the Rivers State University Prof. B. B Fakae has called on Niger Delta youths to take up conscious responsibility of engaging in activities that will drive conducive environmentally for life.
Prof. Fakae made this statement in his address while speaking as the special guest of honour at an event to commemorate this year’s World Human Right Day in Port Harcourt.
Prof. Fakae said that it is about time for youths to note that “survival in an environment is in the hands of youths. The youths should decide to advocate for the environment not to be spoilt.
“Youths should not indulge in activities that will degrade the environment, because their predecessors have in one way or the other done things that have degraded the environment.
Also speaking at the occasion, Mrs Julie Umuokoro, former head of the department of Fine Art the University of Port Harcourt, in her keynote speech said, “youths are leaders of today, therefore should drive the campaign and galvanize to preserve the Niger Delta environment.
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“Niger Delta region has been so abused environmentally. The citizens have allowed others to sell away their posterity, they have allowed others to sell away their God-given health.
“The time has come when the people must rise to maintain their natural lives and rights to live”
Meanwhile, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, the state director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Center, organizers of the event said “Nigeria is not doing much in the protection of the human rights of its citizens, despite the fact that it is operating a democratic government that is expected to guarantee and guard the rights of Nigerians as enshrined in chapter four of the 1999 constitution as amended”
Mr Fyneface Dumnamene called on Nigeria as a country to endeavour no to involve itself or its secret operatives in Acts that will make Nigerians to be seen as among countries that do not respect human rights because the universal declaration of the human right in 1948 which Nigerians adopted into Constitution in 1999 as amended was meant to safeguard the rights of every Nigerian.
Highlights of the event were the unveiling of a sensitization campaign to indulge one million youths to drive the process of restoring and preserving the Niger Delta environment.
Fyneface Dumnamene urged Niger Deltans to support the process and work together for the development of Niger Delta and to also create an alternative development platform beside the government.
“Niger Delta citizens should use their resources with local and international partners to make development happen, as an alternative part of creating employment for youths”
