Abia arrests 114 people for failing to clean up

The Abia State Government has arrested 114 people for not following the rules during the July environmental sanitation exercise. This took place on Saturday in Aba and Umuahia. The government also announced plans to set up a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch.

In Umuahia, 64 people were arrested. Nine of them, including students going to lectures and those on essential duties, were let go for health and other valid reasons. Three offenders were told to do community service.

In Aba, more than 50 sanitation offenders were also caught. The July sanitation exercise saw many residents participating in Umuahia. They were busy clearing gutters and cleaning their surroundings, while tippers were used to remove debris.

Mr Philemon Ogbonna, the Commissioner for Environment, was monitoring the exercise. He was happy with how many residents took part and urged everyone to keep it up. The commissioner was represented by Mr Ikechukwu Oriuwa, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry. He said the government wants to create a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch in the state to keep improving sanitation and cleanliness.

“The ministry is considering establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch across the state in line with the present administration’s commitment to sustaining the giant strides it has made in the area of sanitation and environmental cleanliness of the state,” he said.

Ogbonna also told residents to always keep their areas clean and to stop dumping waste carelessly. He repeated the commitment of the Alex Otti administration to support all sectors of the state.

In Aba, the sanitation exercise also saw many people join in. Mrs Amarachi Goodluck, the Zonal Officer in charge of the Aba Zone, spoke for the commissioner. She praised traders in different markets for following the order to clear their drainage channels before debris removal.

But he was not pleased with some residents in the Osisioma area. He claimed they waited for the sanitation time to finish before going out. Others did not follow the movement restrictions.

The commissioner urged health officers in Osisioma and Obingwa Local Government Areas to take part in future exercises. He also thanked volunteers who helped enforce movement restrictions in some areas. He warned them against extorting money and asked transport union leaders to encourage their members to join the exercise instead of being inactive.

After watching the exercise in Aba, Mr Praise Onuoha, head of the ASEPA Monitoring Task Force, said he was happy with how residents participated. He condemned an attack on ASEPA officials in Aba. He said the agency is committed to keeping the city clean. He urged residents to follow government orders on environmental sanitation to avoid penalties.

In separate chats, residents like Mr Robby Onyema and Mrs Ego Odinkemere praised the state government for its efforts to keep Aba clean. They asked ASEPA to do more in removing debris during sanitation exercises.