An address of Prof CC Asiabaka on 2012 World Environment Day

AN ADDRESS PRESENTED BY PROF. CHIGOZIE. C. ASIABAKA Ph. D, KSM, JP, THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY OWERRI;

DURING THE 2012 WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATION IN FUTO ORGANIZATION BY THE CENTRE FOR WOMEN, GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES (CWGDS) FUTO ON TUESDAY JULY 31^ST, 2012.

PROTOCOLS

Environmental Health and Sanitation have far reaching effects on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals especially Goals 6 and 7 that relate to environmental sustainability and control of childhood diseases and mortality.

It is on record that Nigeria just like other developing nations is facing major environmental challenges resulting from poor waste management, water sanitation, management of urban drainage, past and vector control, abattoir sanitation, school sanitation, gross environmental pollution and contamination, plus sundry effects.

Globally, about 25 percent of all deaths and disease burden are attributed to environmental factors may account for than 65 per-cent of the diseases in Nigeria, mostly communicable disease.

The scenario above applies to this community (FUTO). This is the reason why this administration from inception has continued to invest heavily on environmental issues on campus including beautification, landscaping, clearing of bushes, vector control etc.

Improvement in the sanitation and aesthetic feature of our environment will positively impact on the psychological, social, biochemical, and mental and spiritual well been of all members of FUTO. This will obviously improve performance, productivity and Public Health of FUTO community of sustained.

You may recall last week, I presented a paper on; The Quest for Excellence: Taking FUTO to the Next Level. In my lecture, I enumerated all that my administration is doing to ensure excellence and transformation of FUTO. This ceremony is indeed one of significant transformation programmes for the welfare of FUTO community.

I must appreciate the CWGDS for organizing Sanitary Inspection of this community in the past one week, using Professional Environment Health Officers (Sanitary Inspectors) who are our students from the department of Public Health Technology, School of Health Technology, FUTO.

I want to say that this Sanitary Inspection exercise will be regular programme in FUTO to ensure s cleaner and hygienic community.

Finally, I salute the Ag. Director CWGDS, Dr. Mrs. (Mrs.) Ihuoma Asiabaka, my dear wife, for her doggedness in organizing this programme. I challenge other Institutes, Directorates, Centres and Schools to take a cue from this.

At this juncture I declare the Programme Open.

Thank you and God bless you all.