FCTA MOVES TO TACKLE AIR POLLUTION

… 5,000 HOUSEHOLDS TO GET FREE COOKING GAS

By: Winnie Tanu and Doris Jonah

In a bid to tackle and stop the rising menace of air pollution in the territory, the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), in collaboration with IHS, Towers of Strength, targets 5,000 households for the distribution of cooking gas cylinders free of charge.

This was stated by the Mandate Secretary FCT Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Adedolapo Fasawe, at the official launch of Project Breathe Clean Air-Abuja (PBCAA) at the Bola Tinubu International Conference Center on Saturday.

According to the Mandate Secretary HSES, the project is aimed at replacing burning fuels (like Kerosene, firewood, and charcoal), which constitute air pollution,with Liquidified Petroleum Gas (LPS) and healthier for cooking, as well as create awareness on air pollution, which is a silent killer contributing to about 10 million deaths globally.

In her words, “the lack of knowledge on the subject has caused deaths which goes unreported and the increasing rate of lung cancer in people with no history of smoking calls for aggressive awareness to enlighten the public about air pollution which kills slowly through harmful emissions of substances into the atmosphere which is inhaled as air” thus; the cooking gas will go a long way to address in-door and out-door pollution thereby “Renewing Hope; one household at a time” she noted.

Also, the Mandate Secretary cautioned against indiscriminate disposal of single-use plastics because it poses a serious health threat if not properly disposed of.

She emphasized that the environment is healthy because it constitutes the air we breathe and therefore, urged people to practice safe habits like tree planting and prioritize environmental impact assessment in order to safeguard and make the environment habitable.

Equally, the Ad-Hoc Committee Chairman on FCT Health in the Federal House of Representatives, Dr. Emel Lemke Inyang, in his goodwill message, stated that the PBCAA is not just an initiative but a bold declaration to confront and address one of the most challenging environmental challenges, such as air pollution. whilst also appreciating IHS for demonstrating that corporate growth goes hand in hand with stewardship.

Furthermore, Inyang said that the project is timely and innovative as it will help beneficiaries save cost on cooking fuels and promote forest reserve against deforestation and provide an opportunity for carbon offset as well. In order to sustain the project, he said that the legislature will ensure that a budget line is allocated to the project so as to invest in it for a long time.

In the same vein, the Executive Vice President/Co-Founder of HIS, Mohammad Darwish, in his remarks, stated that “replacing burning fuels such as firewood, kerosene, and charcoal with gas feels fulfilling and IHS is proud to offer the gesture of not only helping 5,000 households but saving lives by averting deaths that can be caused by air pollution”.

Speaking earlier, a Consultant of Clinical & Radiation Oncology at the National Hospital, Abuja, Dr. Ayuba Hannatu Usman, lauded the initiative, adding that it is a life-changing project capable of lowering the risk of lung cancer and other respiratory diseases, which is a growing and rising health concern in Nigeria.

He noted that prioritizing health prevention is important due to the high cost of treatment and therefore called on both government and private organizations to support and sponsor similar projects to save lives.