An advocacy for sustained  partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR) and Family Empowerment and Youth Re-orientation Path-initiative(FEYReP), for the purpose of advancing the cause of environmental security across communities in Akwa Ibom State, has been made.

The advocacy was made by the Hon. Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources (MEMR), Chief Uno Etim Uno, recently in his office while receiving in courtesy, a delegation from a reputed NGO in the State, Family Empowerment and Youth Re-orientation Path-initiative (FEYReP).

The Environment Commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Iquo Abia, Esq expressed delight over the sustained interventionist operations of FEYReP in the State, and committed to strengthening the already established partnership between MEMR and FEYReP in their strategic engagements, particularly in the critical area of environmental protection and security.

Chief Uno, who lauded the delegation’s partnership initiative with MEMR for the purpose of mitigating climate change effects, lamented that the damaging effects of climate change have defaced many communities, displaced many homes, and therefore harped on the imperative of getting it right in order to mitigate its damaging effects.

Further to getting it right, the Environment Commissioner made a strong case for incorporation of Climate Change Literacy (CCL) in schools curriculum, so as to inculcate in the school children the virtue of environmental preservation consciousness. “Let the child realize and grow with the tradition of protecting the environment”, Uno asserted.

He called on NGOs, schools and public-spirited individuals to collaborate with MEMR in its drive to engage in fruit trees planting in public schools, as this would  mitigate climate change effects via environmental purification and protection, and also boost the child’s nutritional needs.

Emphasizing the socio-economic impacts of a secure environment, Chief Uno stressed, ” a safe environment will always attract investors”. He noted that desilting of drains, construction of drainages and proper channeling of running water are potent environment-sensitive practices that should be encouraged in our communities.

Earlier, the FEYReP team through its coordinator, Dr. (Mrs.) Idorenyin Ekanem, had addressed the Hon. Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Chief Uno, proposing a collaborative engagement involving  MEMR and FEYReP, in order to promote a secure environment via mitigation of climate change effects.

The 4-man delegation, in its drive towards strengthening the environment-saving collaboration, decried the huge damage done to some communities in the State, such as Onna and Mkpat Enin, and expressed resolve to fill up the gap by designing a work plan in consultation with MEMR to help address the challenges.

Corroborating the Coordinator’s submission, a member of the FEYReP team, Mrs. Aniefiók Jackson, placed emphasis on Climate Change as their key area of focus and expressed total commitment of FEYReP to the cause.

Also speaking, the director – Climate Change and Awareness in the MEMR, Mrs. Ini Umoh,  described the partnership initiative of FEYReP as apt and timely, especially coming at the period when threatening climate change effects have become unprecedentedly pervasive, even across the vast global community.

Mrs. Umoh identified the strategic potentials of awareness creation and adaptability as some of the measures to adopt in battling the effects of climate change, even as she regretted that climate change cannot be completely eradicated. She, however, declared her readiness to work with FEYReP as coordinated by the Permanent Secretary of MEMR, Abia, Esq.

Other members of the FEYReP delegation were Miss May Bassey and Mr. Kingsley Udoh.