‘”Enough Is Enough” — Abia Moves to Crack Down on Sanitation Defaulters, Says Environment Commissioner.
The Abia State Government has warned that it will intensify the enforcement of environmental sanitation laws following the poor level of compliance recorded during the June monthly sanitation exercise across the state.
The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, gave the warning after monitoring the exercise on Saturday. Represented by the Head of Population Control and Environmental Health, Mrs. Happiness Akpulonu, at various locations in Umuahia, the Commissioner expressed concern over the declining participation of residents in sanitation activities despite previous improvements.
Ogbonna said the government could no longer rely solely on appeals and sensitisation to ensure environmental cleanliness, stressing that stricter enforcement measures may become necessary to achieve compliance.
He noted that the volume of refuse generated and observed during the exercise, particularly at Orie Ugba Market, was evidence that routine sanitation practices had been neglected for months.
According to him, officials of the Ministry of Environment were overwhelmed by the quantity of waste encountered during the exercise, making it difficult to evacuate all the refuse within the stipulated period.
“We were overwhelmed by the amount of waste generated. My team could not evacuate everything today, but going forward, we will strengthen enforcement because experience has shown that many residents respond better when regulations are strictly implemented,” he said.
The Commissioner urged Mayors of the 17 Local Government Areas to intensify public enlightenment campaigns and ensure regular sanitary inspections within their councils, noting that the Ministry of Environment mainly plays a supervisory role and responds to environmental complaints.
He stressed that effective sanitation management requires the active involvement of local government authorities and residents in maintaining clean surroundings at all times.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Abia State House of Assembly Committee on Environment and member representing Ohafia South State Constituency, Hon. Kalu Mba-Nwoke, attributed the poor turnout during the exercise to the suspension of monthly sanitation activities over the past three months.
Mba-Nwoke encouraged residents to embrace environmental cleanliness as a daily responsibility rather than limiting it to government-declared sanitation days.
The lawmaker also faulted Access Bank on Owerri Road, Umuahia, for failing to clear the drainage channel in front of its premises and called on relevant authorities to desilt blocked gutters and drainage systems across the state capital to prevent flooding and improve environmental hygiene.
Ogbonna said the government could no longer rely solely on appeals and sensitisation to ensure environmental cleanliness, stressing that stricter enforcement measures may become necessary to achieve compliance.
