Imo environmental agency dismisses 3 staff over illegalities, arrests 15 fake operatives

The Imo state Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO) has announced the dismissal of three of its staff for their alleged involvement in sharp practices.

The commission equally arrested 15 fake persons impersonating as staffers of the commission and handed them over to security agencies for further investigations and prosecution.

The General Manager of ENTRACO, Mr. Jeff Nwoha, disclosed this during an interaction with journalists on Saturday in Owerri.

Nwoha, whose reappointment was announced by Governor Rochas Okorocha during the week after less than one month dissolution of all the political appointees by the governor, said that his commission has zero tolerance to illegalities.

He observed that the activities of illegal operators were a huge challenge to the commission and urged the people of the state to be wary of the activities of such fraudsters.

“We often receive calls of our workers coming to demand this and that from residents but when we probe into that, we uncover such persons are not real workers of Imo ENTRACO.

“All we are using this medium to tell the public is to be careful who they deal with in the name of environmental workers in Imo state.’’

Nwoha, flanked by Messrs Chike Obioha and Chike Ohanugba both senior officials of the commission, said that the commission is committed to promoting cleaner and healthy environment to drive huge infrastructural development of the state government.

According to him, “the rescue mission of the government of Gov. Okorocha is doing a lot under the urban renewal programme especially in Owerri. These investments would amount to nothing if the environment is untidy.”

Nwoha reiterated his call on the need for residents to clean-up their surroundings and avoid acts capable of causing flooding in the urban centres.

The ENTRACO boss warned that those caught in the web of acts contrary to the law establishing the commission would be dealt with, adding “as we speak several persons are in court with the commission for violation of environmental offences and some have been convicted.”