Officers and men of the Nigerian Police Force Abia State Command have been enjoined to work in synergy with the State Ministry of Environment in moving the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, the programme of the government forward.
The Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna was reacting to the alleged diversion of environmental sanitation exercise defaulters by some of the Policemen to the Central Police Station, Bende road Umuahia, instead of taking them to the sanitation court at Ministry of Environment premises.
Mr. Ogbonna, who frowned at the continuous diversion of defaulters report fingering the Police officers and some of the security personnel not engaged by the Ministry for the environmental sanitation exercise purposes, said he will meet with the State Commissioner of Police to have an interaction on how best to move the programme forward.
Mr Ogbonna also said his team observed improvement in the exercise, but a lot of people failed to obey the sanitation directive, revealing that some stringent measures might be introduced against those sabotaging sanitation exercise.
Ogbonna who disclosed that desilting of drainages and evacuation is on going within the major cities of the state, warned the youths, who formed the habit playing football during clean up exercise to desist, as the habit does not show good discipline.
Speaking also, the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on environment, Professor Ijeoma Ihekwumere urged people to learn to keep their environment clean which is in line with the vision of the State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti.
She said that measures would be put in place to fish out those who refused to keep their environment clean, even as she tasked citizens and residents to imbibe/embrace the culture of cleanliness.
