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Managing director, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, Engr. Saheed Aremu has admonished residents of the state to respect the “rights of rivers” by restraining themselves and others from all kinds of activities that could pollute water bodies.
He expressed global concerns about disease burdens emerging from polluted and untreated water and called for concerted efforts to halt the trend.
Aremu spoke on the sideline of 2022 world rivers day observed by the river basin in Ilorin during which he led the top management team and staff of the agency to carry out a cleaning exercise of major rivers in the state capital as part of the campaign against violations of the rights of rivers.
He listed some of the violations of rights of rivers including blockage of waterways thereby preventing rivers from flowing freely.
Aremu also campaigned against dumping of solid and industrial wastes into rivers, open defecation, landgrabbing, and discharge of effluent and industrial and solid wastes in rivers among other harmful practices.
The theme for the 2022 world rivers day celebrations is “Rights of Rivers” World Rivers Day is observed every fourth Sunday of September to raise awareness about the rivers and the importance of all the waterways around the globe. It highlights the many value of rivers and encurages the improved stewardship of rivers around the world.
Speaking during the event that also featured a streets campaign, Aremu, decried the alarming threat to human and aquatic environments in Nigeria due to water pollution and blockage of waterways calling for concerted efforts to halt the trend
“Aremu water Engineer experts said “our rivers are being polluted by indiscriminate disposal of sewage, solid wastes, industrial wastes and other human activities”, warning “that whatever untreatable emerging pollutant from this river goes back to the community for consumption “.
He said the basin authority chose the Yalu river in Ilorin, for the cleaning exercise because it” is one of the main tributaries of Asa River which is our major domestic source of water supply to about 50 % of our teeming population. It is therefore pertinent that we bring the attention of the pulic the effects that whatever untreatable emerging pollutant from this river goes back to the community for consumption”.
The second reason is to bring to the limelight, the catastrophic effects of open defecation on human health due to an increase in waterborne diseases including diarrhoea and other problems associated with ingesting and exposure to human waste. This is because most of the open defecation happens next to our rivers “
Photo caption
Managing director, Lower Niger River Basin Development Authority, Ilorin, Engineer Saheed Adeniyi Aremu planning a tree after leading other management team and staff on cleaning exercise of Yalu River in Gaa Iman, Ilorin ad parts of activities to mark the 2022 world rivers day in Ilorin.
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