110 Arrested for Defying Environmental Sanitation Directive in Abia State
In a decisive move to enforce environmental sanitation regulations, 110 individuals were apprehended in Umuahia and its environs on Saturday for violating the Abia State government’s directive restricting movement during sanitation hours. The violators were picked up on the streets and in business premises before being brought before a mobile court sitting at the Abia State High Court.
Presiding Magistrate Onyinyechi Chinenye Ibekwe sentenced some of the offenders to fines under the Abia State Basic Environmental Law. Others were released on health grounds, while a number of defaulters were handed over to the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) for non-custodial penalties such as cleaning the environment and cutting grass. These individuals were released after completing their assigned tasks.
Speaking to journalists after the November clean-up exercise, the Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Ogbonna, expressed satisfaction with the compliance levels but voiced concerns about the habitual littering by traders at Orie Ugba market, particularly on clean-up days. He stated that his ministry would collaborate with the Umuahia North Local Government Area (LGA) and the Abia State House of Assembly Committee on Environment to sustain Governor Alex Otti’s Clean Environment Initiative.
Smart Ihuoma, Chairman of Umuahia North LGA, also addressed the media, expressing dismay at the unsanitary and poorly maintained conditions in the Orie Ugba and Isi Gate areas. He emphasized the council’s commitment to prioritizing the health and safety of residents, even at the expense of internally generated revenue.
“Revenue is not more important than the lives of the people,” Ihuoma declared, promising immediate action to improve the area’s sanitary conditions.
This latest exercise highlights the Abia State government’s commitment to enforcing sanitation laws and ensuring a cleaner, healthier environment for its residents.
