Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco says it will provide training for local communities, to shift from fossil fuels to locally sourced renewable energy such as solar, to mitigate climate change.
Charter President of the Club, Rtn Emem Bridget Okon, while unveiling projects during the Charter Presentation and her installation in Port Harcourt, said the club already has planted 3,200 mangroves trees and would plant 50,000 mangroves the next nine months.
Okon explained that the Club is primarily concerned with protecting the environment, hence plans are in top gear for roundtable discussions with all stakeholders on strategies to end black soot in the state.
She added that the Club is open to building partnership with government agencies, NGOs and individuals who are interested in promoting environmental protection and conservation.
“Our concern is protecting the environment. The campaign is also that we should shift from fossil fuels to renewable energies. We are going to empower women and youths.
“We are looking at getting communities to shift to renewables and will help in the area of having energy stoves, solar power in communities.”
Okon, who is a strong environmental justice campaigner, also said events have been lined up throughout the Rotary year, targeted towards environment protection and conservation.
“We have just unveiled the campaign against the soot. We have started the save the mangroves campaign, of which we are targeting to plant 50,000 mangroves trees by June 2022.
“We are also carrying out tree planting outside the mangroves trees, because these trees are important in absorbing carbon from the air and also in restoration of the ecosystem.
“Then they’ve got to be awareness creation which we are going to do through confenrences, policy dialogue and engagement with environmental justice groups. All these will contribute to taking actions to restore the environment.”
Also, Assitant Governor, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt, Nkiru Enyia, said one of the areas of focus in Rotary is protecting the environment, hence the reason Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco was created.
For his part, the Public Image Director of Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco, Rtn. Fyneface Dumnamene, called for collaboration on advocacy on black soot in the state, describing the soot as a killer that needs to be killed, if humans must live.
Fyneface assured that his organization, Advocacy Centre will collaborate with the Rotary Club and other organizations to advance the soot advocacy.
