Date: 2014-08-10

Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Malete, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’allah, in Ilorin yesterday advocated heavy sanctions against oil companies operating in the country with indifference to the environmental laws.

In his speech at a lecture and conferment of awards at the 2014 Press Week of Correspondents’ Chapel of Kwara State council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) held at  Kingstone Suites, Na’allah said the nation could not continue to bear the threats posed to citizens by the oil spills in the Niger Delta region.

The Vice-Chancellor challenged the government to be proactive by adopting a sustainable policy that would contain the excesses of the affected companies.

He also tasked the media to help check incessant gas flaring in the region.

The KWASU boss, who chaired the event urged the media to step up efforts at enlightening the public on the vulnerability of some activities that constitute threats to safe environment.

He said, “You will agree with me that changing rainfall patterns resulting in flooding and erosion have continued to pose great problems to the Nigerian farmers and deepen rural poverty. It is a common knowledge that governments at all levels commit huge resources to emergency and relief services each year owing to these natural disasters.

“Aside the annual rituals of rainfall prediction by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), the media also needs to step up efforts at enlightening the public on the dangers inherent in the blockage of waterways as a result of indiscriminate dumping of refuse and other activities which constitute great threats to safe environment.

“Checking the incessant issue of gas flaring in the Niger-Delta region and erosion causing ecological emergency in other parts of the country is another area where the media is expected to set an agenda for government and the public.

“Undoubtedly, through massive awareness campaign, sustainable policy formulation and implementation, the socio-economic and health implications of environmental pollutants ravaging the Niger-Delta region will be reduced drastically.

“In fact, it is high time multinational oil companies in the region stopped oil spills and be made to face heavy sanctions for noncompliance with environmental best practices because the country cannot continue to expose her citizens to such environmental hazards”.

The guest lecturer at the event, Dr Yinka Oyewo of the Department of Communication Arts, University of Ibadan, emphasized the role of the media as an agenda setter in any society, saying “If not for the media, hitherto we lived in the world of darkness”.

He, however implored the media to be fair and objective in their reportage especially 2015 draws nearer.

Oyewo also appealed to the media to put in more awareness on the spread of ebola virus.

In his remark, the General Manager of the Kwara State Printing and Publishing Corporation, publishers of The Herald titles, Alhaji Abdulrazaq Adebayo, admonished members of the correspondent chapel to sustain the unity that exists in the chapel.

The General Manager of Radio Kwara, Alhaji Abdulateef Adedeji also enjoined members of the Correspondent chapel to keep the flag of responsible journalism flying.

Similarly, the chairman, Kwara State Council of NUJ, Comrade Abiodun Abdulkareem, applauded the chapel for being a leading light in the journalism in the state.

At the programme, the National leader of Odua Peoples Congress, Otunba Gani Adams and  Managing Director of National Pilot Newspaper, Alhaji Billy Adedamola, were among eminent Nigerians that were conferred with meritorious awards.