February 1st 2018 would remain a remarkable day in the anal of the University history as it holds Anti-Bush Burning Campaign in honour of Pastor (Mrs.) Faith Oyedepo, the wife of the Chancellor, Dr. David Oyedepo; the Vice-President Education, Living Faith Church Worldwide and member of the University’s Board of Regents as she marks her 60th Birthday.

During the kickoff of the programme, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Adeniyi Olayanju expressed the University’s concern on bush burning which has ravaged many farms and homes, and destroyed many lives and properties. He asserted that the negative impacts of bush burning in our country need not to be over emphasized. Apart from environmental pollution and health hazards, bush burning obviously caused immense catastrophe in many quarters. These include, public nuisance, the suffocating experience felt by the people due to the huge smoke soaring in the air, and the depletion of the ozone layer of the environment.

Professor Olayanju described this menace as double tragedy in the sense that while the heat is unbearable, fire from bush burning heats up soil nutrients including fertilizer elements, and smoldering all the proponents of the plants as well as the grasses that are useful in conserving the forest, wildlife and small animals also are being destroyed in large proportion. “More so, smoke from indiscriminate bush burning has a range of health effects from eye and respiratory tract irritation to serious disorders such as breathing problems, increased severity of asthma, lungs, disease, etc. also high level of carbon monoxide are poisonous to humans.” He concluded by congratulating the Dean, College of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Charity Aremu for leading the initiative.

The Anti-Bush Burning Campaign which was spearheaded by the College of Agricultural Sciences was led by the Dean, Professor Charity Aremu. Faculty of the College and some members of the University Community went to Omu-Aran community and its environs. The team stopped over at the Government Secondary School; Government Christian College and Omu-Aran High School to educate students on the dangers of bush burning to the environment and the society at large.

At the Government Secondary School Omu-Aran, Professor Charity Aremu warned students against bush burning which she described as detrimental to economic growth and development. She further stated that Landmark University is advocating change in attitude towards bush burning and it must begin with the leaders of tomorrow. “We are here this afternoon to tell you to stop bush burning, as it will affect our agricultural produce and one of the ways to prevent this is to take care of your environment.”

The Principal who was represented by the Vice-Principal Administration, Mr. Michael Afolayan thanked the University for the Campaign and warned that bush burning has to stop because of its negative effect on the ecosystem. He, therefore, enjoined the students to hold the information dearly. During the visit, students had the opportunity to ask questions on how they could be part of the campaign.

As part of the campaign team, the Omu-Aran Fire Service led by its Area Commander, Mr. Michael Olaniyan urged members of the community and students to call the phone number on the campaign flier for help in case of any fire outbreak, and added that their services nationwide is free. The campaign train also made a stopover at Eleyin and Ipetu villages for intensive sensitization in the three major Nigerian languages, as the responses from members of the community on the campaign were filled with elation describing the campaign as timely.