Anambra govt arrests defaulters of monthly sanitation exercise, promise clean, healthy state

By Ndife David – Awka

Some residents of Awka Capital territory were on Saturday arrested by agents of the Anambra State government for violating the monthly sanitation exercise.

The state set aside last Saturday of every month for sanitation exercise, with a declaration forbidding movement of persons and vehicles in the state.

Defaulters who were arrested at random places within Awka were taken to the Awka South Local government headquarters, where they are tried by the magistrate of mobile court according to the law and duly sanctioned.

This, government officials said would serves as a deterrent to others to subsequently adhere strictly to the sanitation exercise and its rules.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Executive Council Committee on clean and sustainable living and healthy environment has reiterated it commitment towards ensuring a cleaner and healthier living environment for Anambra resident in the Awka Capital Territory.

This resolve was demonstrated today during the monthly sanitation exercise as members of the ANSEC committee which includes authorities of Awka South Local Government Area, Awka Capital Territory Development Authoriy – ACTDA, Anambra State Waste Management Agency, Operation Clean And Healthy Anambra – OCHA Brigade, and Dobe Awka Ocha enforcement team took out time to supervise and enforce strict compliance to September sanitation exercise.

The enforcement was carried out from Aroma Junction through Nkwo Amanyi To Eke Awka Market.

Speaking during the exercise, the Awka South Transition Committee Chairman, Hon. ThankGod Anagor applauded the notable progress and compliance achieved so far on the work on clean environment, noting more room for improvement. He maintained that sanitation and other relevant environment rules and engagement for proper waste management compliance have seen remarkable improvement and thus commended the team for their efforts in enforcing the results.

He emphasized that residing in an unclean environment is not only unethical but also pose a significant risk to infection and various diseases and urged the residents of Awka South Capital Territory to embrace the culture of cleanliness for a healthy wellbeing.

He went further to advised residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse on the media to also encourage the efforts of the government team to ensuring a clean and healthy environment for all.

Also speaking, the MD Anambra State Waste Management Agency, Mr. Mike Ozoemena commended residents for their level of compliance during the exercise. He attributed the success of the monthly sanitation exercise to the level of sensitization and awareness campaign initiated earlier.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness, therefore, the provision of receptacles at different pickup points has also helped to lessen the burden on the people. Sanitation is everybody’s business, people are therefore welcomed to help and possibly suggest more better ways to support the government’s work towards ensuring a clean and healthy Anambra at all times, he added.”

He commended the Transition Committee Chairmen of Awka South Local Government Area, Onitsha South, Onitsha North, Njikoka, and others council area for taking up the governor’s mandate of building and sustaining a clean and healthy living environment.

Contributing, the Commander, Dobe Awka Ocha enforcement team, Prince Henry Ikechukwu Ndigwe while narrating the efforts put in place by his team during the exercise, rated the sanitation success at eighty percentage, noting that the reactivation of contractors, increased level of compliance to proper waste disposal practises and also a clean and sustainable Awka Capital Territory is achievable due to the strategy they have put in place to attain the milestone success.

He however call on the relevant government agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring that the sweepers keeps the street neat and clean steps up with the demand for their routine to enhance early evacuation of refuse.

Appreciating, the Deputy President General, Amawbia Town Union Rotarian Nnamdi Onwuzuligbo commended the good efforts of the committee in engaging traders on the right ethics And practice. He affirmed his satisfaction with the observation and total compliance with the sanitation rules and commended Governor Soludo for changing the narrative by virtue of engaging relevant agencies and authorities to keep Anambra State clean.

SSA to the Governor Soludo on Environment and ASWAMA, Mr. Nkawchukwu Osita and The Deputy MD/PRO, OCHA Brigade, Mr. Agbafuna Anthony. O was also present during the sanitation .