Army commander charges traders to be proactive in environmental matters

As part of the events mapped out for this year’s Army Day celebration, the officers and men of the 302 Military Cantonment, Onitsha, Anambra state, in collaboration with the state government, embarked on cleaning exercise at a huge refuse dump at Electrical International Market, Obosi, along the Onitsha-Owerri highway.

Speaking at the occasion, the Commander, Col. Idongesit Uko Akpan Akpan, who said the army chose the place for this year’s clean up exercise, having considered its strategic positioning.

He advised traders to always avoid the attitude of indifference, particularly to the cleaning up of their business environment, pleading with them to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse as cleanness is next to godliness.

“Today, we came to assist the state government in cleaning up the refuse here and I am appealing to the leadership of the market to make sure that this point we’ve cleared of rubbish is kept clean. The essence of today’s exercise stands as our own contribution in reciprocating the relentless effort of the the Governor in making the state one of the neatest in the country,” he stated.

Col. Akpan, who was in company of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on Sanitation, Lady Florence Njede Oraedum and the Transition Committee Chairman, Idemili North local government area of the state, Barr. Asha Nnabuife thanked the Governor of the state for making the state look neater than he met it.

In her remarks, Lady Florence frowned at what she considered the gory sight they met on ground at the market, thanked the military for finding time to assist her office in cleaning up the state.

She stated that the kind gesture of the military has shown that they appreciate the programme of the state government as it concerns keeping the state clean.
Describing littering rubbish inside the drainage within the electrical market by the traders as “rascality,” the governor’s aide called for all hands to be on deck for the government to achieve cleaning up the state, boasting that the state governor has done wonderfully well in this regard.

She called on the traders to support the governor’s second tenure bid, which, according her, would give the him the opportunity of accomplishing the good jobs he has started in the state

The Transition Committee Chairman, Idemili North thanked the Nigeria Army for having demonstrated military-civilians cordial relationship even as he assured the Nigeria Army that the state government as usual will keep on partnering with all the security apparatus in the state, especially the Army in sustaining security of the State .

Nnabuife used the opportunity to warn the traders within the council area to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in unauthorized areas, stating that it was not going to be business as usual for those messing the state up through dumping waste in the drainage.