IT was a reunion of stakeholders and partners of Sustainable Development Goals （SDG）as they converged at Vienna Hotel, Asaba on Friday, to celebrate the world Earth Day
Speaking at the event, the Executive Governor of the State, Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa, who was represented by the Director General, Directorate of Sustainable Development Goal （SDG）Dr. Andy Ilabor welcomed everybody to the event and said the SDG is made up of 17 goals,169 targets and 230 indicators which provides a blueprint for better humanity adding that the Ministry is saddled with the responsibility of strategic directions, planning and provision of leadership and guidance. He said the Governor, Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa has always created an enabling environment for the integration and alignment of the goals to achieve agenda 2030. He also said that the academia has been a major stakeholder, by contributing to the SDG goals through dissemmination of knowledge, research and teaching. He listed the challenges facing the Directorate to include funding, capacity gaps, slow compliance to SDG principles, high cost of project intervention among others
In his own speech, the Vice Chancellor, of the Federal University Of Petroleum Resources （FUPRE）Engr. Prof. Akpofureh Rimi-Rukeh said the even has to do with human lives, maintaining that if environmental problems like global warming and flood is taking seriously, human lives will be saved. He said man is unkind to the earth because of the untamed industrial activities, especially in the creeks as people lose their lives daily, and also suffer from diseases like cerebral meningitis which is caused by excessive heat. He added that man must invest in the earth by making people aware of global warming and train them on how to fight it saying if nothing is, done, the coastal communities will be wiped off
Meanwhile, the chairman of the, ocassion, Engr. Newton Jibunoh has advised that climate issues should be taken seriously as we have only, one planet earth. He said Fulani Herdsmen are migrating to the south of the country because of desertification and cautioned that the nation should make amends for her mistakes else the situation will be out of hand. He also lamented the collapse of the Steel Industries in the country and Nigeria Airways. Other speakers at the event include, Pastor Peter Omorakpor and Dr. Elias Elemike
At the end of the programme, three persons received their investiture namely, Engr. Newton Jibunoh, Pastor Peter Omorakpor and Mr. Daramfon Bassey of Clean Tech Hub. The participants were then taken round the city of Asaba on a short escortion. Some of the places visited include, Prof. Obi Chike Edozien Secretariat, Delta State Film Village and the Mandela Garden
The programme is organised by the Federal University Of Petroleum, Resources （FUPRE) inconjuction with Office Of the Directorate Of Sustainable Development Goals. The objective of the programme is to draw partners and stakeholders together on how to tackle climate change and protect the earth while the theme of the event is, Natural and human resources sustainability – The nexus of yesterday , today, and tomorrow.
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