Rivers legislators partner NGO to kick-start Clean Seas Initiative
Huge quantity of plastics were harvested for recycling from the sea when concerned members of the Rivers state House of Assembly in partnership with the Second Opportunity Africa Foundation embarked on an enlightenment and marine clean up exercise to kick-start an initiative aimed at ensuring plastic free seas and oceans in Nigeria.
The initiative saw over 100 volunteers led by the Speaker, Ikunyi Ibani using locally made implements to fish our plastics from the Marine Base water front at the ATC jetty in Okrika, a sea route used by oil and gas companies and blighted by floating plastics endangering marine life and lives of sea farers.
The coastal clean- up project is expected to ensure that the nation’s rivers and seas are free of plastic and in turn stop plastics from getting into the oceans.
“Waterways in Rivers state receive debris from the Imo River and empty same into the Atlantic Ocean contributing massively to the menace of plastic in the world’s oceans.
“More importantly, plastic waste on the seas is responsible for the rapidly dwindling sea food catches which is making many coastal dwellers whose main occupation is fishing go hungry. The programme has set the ball rolling for a clean coastal environment that will usher in a blue economy.
“Another important component of the initiative is the plan to empower youths through the establishment of recycling hubs in selected coastal towns where recycling and up cycling of plastics will be taught to boost the setting up of small scale enterprises from waste harvested from the seas,” the speaker said.
Many stakeholders joined him to kick-start the clean seas initiative with the theme: “Our seas, our lives.” They include King Ateke Tom, members of the state House of Assembly, former Minister of Transportation, Chief Abiye Sekibo, Chairman of Okrika Local Government Area and Mayor of Port Harcourt as well as chiefs and residents of Marine Base waterfront in Port Harcourt and Okrika Town.
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Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of the clean -up exercise, the initiator of the project, a member of the state House of Assembly, Linda Stewart, said the project which has the full endorsement of relevant committees of the state assembly is the baby of Evans Bipi, Tonye Adoki and herself.
She added that it is expected that corporate organizations, international organizations and relevant federal government agencies will key into the initiative and partner the state House of Assembly to tackle the menace of plastics on the nation’s seas and oceans which have become a serious environmental challenge globally.
