Olu of Warri decries exploitation of Niger Delta mangrove

HIS Royal Majesty Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Olu of Warri Kingdom, has called on leaders in the Niger Delta to rise against the continuous exploitation of the mangroves in the region. He urged the leaders to establish a framework to protect the mangroves from unchecked exploitation.

Speaking yesterday at the opening of an exhibition, ‘The Intersecting Worlds of Climate Change, The Mangrove and Art’, by John Edwin Debebs in Lagos, the monarch advised the leaders to ensure that any economic benefit derived from the mangrove served the communities in the region first. He said: “Let us stand proud in the knowledge that our land, our heritage and our future are not for sale.”

The Ahmed Bashir Sodangi-led National Gallery of Art (NGA) is one of the lead sponsors collaborating with Crimson Fussion to organise the exhibition. He stressed that ‘’if we are not taking care of our land and environment, ultimately we are disappearing.’’ He described the mangrove as the lungs of the people’s heritage that sustained their life. “They are the lungs of our heritage. They sustain our way of life. They protect our shores. They preserve our identity. And yet, while we have looked upon them for generations, others, from afar, have begun to look at them differently. “Through satellite images, through the lens of economic speculation, and the intentions of hurting the collective sovereignty of the people of the Niger Delta.

‘’The world now acknowledges what we have always known, that mangroves are among the most efficient carbon sources on this planet,” he noted. He said the gathering at the exhibition was not only to appreciate the beauty of artistic expression but to confront an issue that was as immediate as it was historical.

Source: https://thenationonlineng.net/olu-of-warri-decries-exploitation-of-niger-delta-mangrove/

Date: 7MAR25