Abia Commissioner warns motorists plying roads during environmental sanitation exercise hours.

Abia Commissioner warns motorists plying roads during environmental sanitation hours.

…It will no longer be business as usual

By: Sam Obinna Ibe.

The Commissioner for Environment, Abia State,Hon Philemon Asonye Ogbonna has warned motorists of dire consequences of plying into Abia roads during hours of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise warning that it will no longer be business as usual.

Abia State Commissioner for Environment,Hon Philemon Asonye Ogbonna represented by the Director in charge of the ministry,Rev Udochukwu Joseph stated this at Umuahia High Court premises shortly after the end of the monthly clean up exercise in the State.

Ogbonna who frowned at motorists plying into inter state roads during hours of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Abia State especially motorists coming from the neighbouring Akwa Ibom state for not adhering strictly to the time stipulated for the state environmental sanitation hours, which is, from 7 am to 1000 am .

To this end,he however warned those motorists from neighbouring states plying Abia roads during the hours of environmental sanitation warning that it will no longer be business as usual for non compliance of this order.

Meanwhile, Eighty three environmental offenders were arrested and were taken to Environmental Mobile Court at the State High Court , Umuahia to be charged for default.

Speaking during the monthly environmental sanitation exercise,a House Committee on Environment, Hon Kalu Mba Nwoke decried the attitude of the Police in using Environmental sanitation exercise to arrest environmental sanitation offenders taken them to their office and allegedly extort money from them instead of bringing them to the appropriate quarters.

Hon Kalu Mba Nwoke who is representing Ohafia North in the Abia House of Assembly
noted that the level of compliance for the month of September sanitation exercise was far better than the previous months .

Hon Nwoke who told journalists that having participated in the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, observed with regret
a group of police men hired a vehicle which they used to arrest defaulters and instead of taking them to the mobile court situated at the High court premises rather took them to police where they were detained with the aim of extorting them.

The law maker however frowned at this unpatriotic attitude and therefore called for a change this unprofessional conducts or be ready to face the wraths of the law.

Meanwhile,Abia State Environmental Protection Agency Asepa task force team joined hands with the ministry and visited places such as: Abia Enugu Port Harcourt Express Tower, Mission Hill, Okigwe Park,Isi gate, Cooperative, FMC gate, Aba road to enforce total compliance.

In an interview with Mr James Okonkwo in front of Federal Medical Centre,FMC Umuahia said that Abia is now getting it right in terms of compliance to observing the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, noting that streets are now deserted during the hours of sanitation unlike before people are moving about without fear of arrest .

He however attributed to the good work Governor Alex Otti is doing in the state noting that this is the dawn of a new Abia as envisioned by the performing governor of Abia State.

Okonkwo also gave kudos to the Commissioner for Environment for piloting affairs of the ministry very well in that Abia is now clean under his watch while tasking him to keep up the good work.

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