Abia govt cancels monthly cleanup exercise as refuse heaps mount

By Ihesiulo Grace

27 November 2016

News

The November edition of the Abia state monthly sanitation exercise, weekend failed as the usual restriction of movement of people was lifted by the state government at the last minute.

In a state-wide radio announcement, the state government had urged security agencies not to restrict movement of people. However, no reason was given for this development. This provided youths a good opportunity to play football on the streets during the 9 – 11am period of the exercise.

The trucks that usually drive in within the period to cart away refuse generated during the period, were absent, while transport owners resorted to loading passengers within the period.

At Isi Gate axis of Umuahia metropolis, all gutters which are usually cleared by traders and park owners were filled to the brim with refuse, while those who tried to clean their environment had the refuse they generated abandoned by the road side.

Even with the enormous campaign and sensitization mounted by the state Ministry of Environment, no officials of the ministry showed face, except for the Permanent Secretary who arrived at the Umuahia LGA headquarters after the period.

The usual mobile court that try sanitation offenders was absent in Umuahia, and no court officials were present, except the Umuahia North Local Government Area Transition Committee Chairman, Okezie Ezeigbo, who said he had been going round the council communities to sensitize the people on the importance of the exercise, and expressed his happiness that in the areas he visited, the exercise went on well.

Also speaking, a former deputy Transition Committee Chairman of the council, Deacon Joel Nwosu, said the exercise went on well as people cleaned their environment, stating that what the government did was only to remove the restriction on the movement of the people.

According to Deacon Nwosu, the state governor is sensitive to the plight of the people, hence the removal of the restriction to afford people free movement while the sanitation was on.

He commended the state governor over the decision, stating, “It will give the people sense of belonging”.

However, some traders interview, and who spoke to Daily Times on the condition of anonymity described the removal of the restriction as an indirect way of stopping the exercise for the month, expressing their fear that it might continue this way.

According to them, Umuahia, once known to be the cleanest city in Nigeria, has nothing clean to show, even as a state capital, pointing out that attention of the state government seems to have shifted away from the city to elsewhere.

According to a motorist who identified himself simply as Akobundu lamented that it looks as deliberate to have allowed the Isi Gate market to return to Umuahia as a way of making nonsense of the Urban Ultra- modern market built by Sen. T. A. Orji when he was the governor of the state.

The return of the traders to the city centre, generates tons of refuse which has overwhelmed ASEPA due to ill-equipment of the agency to perform their duties of keeping the state clean, especially in Umuahia

He pointed to some dilapidated Abia State Environmental Sanitation Authority refuse bins that were over-flown with several heaps of refuse generated even before the sanitation date as a bad sight for a state capital like Umuahia and called on the state Governor, Okezie Ikpeazu to strengthen ASEPA with funds and other logistics that include disposal trucks to enable them do their job well.

He condemned the look-warm attitude of the management of state ministry of environment over the monthly exercise in the state, commending however, the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dim Chimechefulam Nwoke for her personal efforts and sacrifice she has been making to manage the exercise in Umuahia area.

A motorist, Uchenna Ibe asked the state government, “Why have you allowed traders at the city centre to acquire half of the Warri Street by Isi Gate tarred road for trading activities, while touts use the other side for defecation, even when the Navy personnel and government officials are there?

Meanwhile, in order to reap from the sanitation, an overzealous police officer in Umuahia who wanted to make brisk money with the exercise met the beatings of trailer drivers at Abia Tower clock roundabout as he broke the side screen of a truck belong to an Umuahia paint merchant, SACLUX Paints Industries, Umuahia in an attempt to extort money from the driver.

Unknown to the police officer, who “cocked” his gun to care away people, the state government had cancelled restriction of movement during the exercise, and in the process, broke the glass.

The driver of the trailer, his conductors and other sympathizers gathered and gave the police officer “minimum” push around before his other colleagues who looked sober over the officers’ conduct, came to his rescue.

Already, he had arrested no fewer than two other Lorries, some keke and numerous baby buses, while demanding for “something for offending sanitation order” in Umuahia.

It took the intervention of one of the management staff of SACLUX Paints to settle the matter as the driver and his friends were bent on making the police officer to pay for the glass.