By Adeyinka Adeniran
As part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS), the Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company IBEDC, on Friday embarked on an awareness campaign at the popular Ogunpa market in Ibadan as well as Basorun Ogunmola High School, Oluyole, Ibadan to sensitise marketers and students respectively on the hazards posed by plastic pollution in the environment
The market sensitization campaign tagged: “Pick plastic solution”, was carried out in conjunction with the market leaders including: Chairman, Ajekale Youth Progressive Forum, Mr Raheem Kazeem, Musibaudeen Adesola and Alhaja Fasola Azeez, the Balogun and Iyalaje Oja Ogunpa Oyo respectively, who took turn to address marketers on the need to heed to advise given and to refrain from dumping of plastics bags and bottles in rivers, waterways or drains.
The IBEDC team, led by the company’s Head , Safety and Environment, Abiodun Dirisu practically picked plastic bottles around the market with some marketers and also donated three drums of plastics waste bins to the market leaders to be placed at strategic locations within the market.
The team also used the occasion, to sensitise marketers on the IBEDC PAY, an app designed to fastrack easy and convenient online payment by its numerous customers.
Similarly, the IBEDC donated three plastic waste bins and other items to the management staff of Basorun Ogunmola High School Oluyole, Ibadan.
The Chief Commercial Officer, IBEDC, Dr Ademola Adewumi said the school was chosen as a pilot scheme to educate students and to create awareness about the health risks of plastics in the environment.
According to him, the program is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility to the society.
Earlier, the Head, Safety and Environment, IBEDC, Abiodun Idirisu noted that pollution has become a global concern with plastics as one of the main sources of environmental pollution
He emphasized the urgent need to take plastics out of the environment in view of its damaging effects on the environment and human health.
“IBEDC has chosen to join the rest of the world to commemorate the world environment day to continue the sensitization on the need for every citizen to take responsibility to attend to the issue of pollution especially as regards plastics”
“The plastics can be recycled and be converted to other purposes and should not be seen as waste , if from the onset, we don’t see them as waste, the need arises for us to sort them and take them to where they will be recycled “, he said.
The Principal of the school, Mrs Adeniran Omobola appreciated the gesture promising to make use of the items for the intended purposes.
She used the occasion to solicit the support of the organization in renovation of dilapidated buildings in the school as well as construction of drainage for free flow of water during rainfall.
