Date: 2017-02-06

The Vice-President, Education, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Mrs. Faith Oyedepo, has decried the harmful effects of bush burning.

She called for collaborative efforts of all stakeholders to stem it, saying bush burning had induced losses in many communities in Nigeria.

Oyedepo, who was represented by the Vice-Chancellor, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Kwara State, Prof. Aize Obayan, spoke on Sunday during the inauguration of a campaign against bush burning organised by the university.

The campaign entitled, 'Stop bush burning', was organised as part of the activities to mark Oyedepo's 59th birthday anniversary. The participants also distributed handbills to educate people on the negative impacts of bush burning.

The Landmark University Medical Centre simultaneously organised a free medical outreach at the Oke-Igbala Leprosy Hospital at Oke-Igbala, a suburb of Omu-Aran, as part of the birthday celebration.

No fewer than 200 patients benefited from free tests, diagnosis, drugs and treatment for different ailments during the health outreach.

Oyedepo lamented that bush burning had devastated many people and impacted negatively on soil and the environment.

She identified other negative consequences of bush burning as depletion of soil nutrient, environmental pollutions and reduction in farm yield and income.

Oyedepo added that "bush burning also renders farm harvest unsafe for consumption as well as destroys the ecosystem."