The 2025 edition of the World Environment Day, themed: #BeatPlasticPollution has been marked by the Center for Peace and Environmental Justice, CEPEJ, a nongovernmental organisation in Delta State, with tree planting campaign as part of its efforts to preserve the environment.

The tree planting exercise coordinated by the National Coordinator of the CEPEJ, Chief (Comrade) Sheriff Mulade, represented by its Senior Programme Manager, Mr. Sam Ideh, held at the Udu Local Government Council Secretariat at Otor-Udu.

Officials present are the Chairman of the LG Council, Olorogun Vincent Oyibode who was represented by his Vice, Mrs. Onajite Oputu; and the Supervisory Councilor for Environment, Hon. Freeborn Shalokpe, among others.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Ideh said the exercise was to preserve human existence as trees are a vital source of Oxygen which sustains life on Earth, while he noted that the act of tree planting is also to combat the acts of deforestation which is a threat to the human survival and the environment as well.

"Tree is a very important to human life. It provides oxygen to us, which we need in our daily lives. And as you can see, without the tree, we can't live. That's why we need the trees and that's why we have planted trees" he stated.

Asides tree planting, on other activities to mark the day, he said: "We normally go out, especially to secondary and primary schools to educate them about the environment, on how to keep the environment clean, because if the environment is not clean, they can contact diseases."

Mr. Ideh thanked the LG chairman for giving the nongovernmental organisation the room to plant the economic trees such as coconuts, orange, among others.

Speaking on behalf of the LG Chairman, Mrs. Oputu thanked CEPEJ for embarking on the exercise which she noted will go a long way to combat the hazards of deforestation.

"I want to say a very special thank you to the organizers, CEPEJ, for coming in today, being World Environment Day. It's a day that we are so grateful to nature. We are so grateful to nature for trees, for green earth. We are so grateful to nature because the trees and green plants around us we are able to breathe in fresh air and we are able to live healthy lives.

"Aforestation is our one main objective. We solemnly kick against deforestation. Our mothers in those days fell trees for firewoods... Then we've seen the economic meltdown brought as a result of deforestation like the ozone layer and the rest of them; the hardship in our land due to air pollution and all of that," the vice chairman added.

The World Environment Day is a global day that is commemorated on June 5 of every year with a call to protect the environment and to take urgent action to #BeatPlasticPollution, the theme for the 2025 edition. 

According to the International Organization for Migration, IOM, "Plastic, from production to waste, contributes to climate crisis and environmental degradation; it contaminates soil, blocks water sources, and harms ecosystems. These impacts are pushing people to move in search of safer, more sustainable living conditions."

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