Flooding: Stop blocking gutters with garbage – Abia Govt cautions residents
Abia State Government Urges Residents to Keep Gutters Clear
Umuahia, Nigeria – The Abia State government is calling on residents to refrain from blocking gutters with waste materials. This message was delivered by the Commissioner for Environment, Philomen Ogbonna, during a monitoring visit of the monthly cleanup exercise on Saturday.
Ogbonna emphasized the government’s commitment to preventing disease outbreaks and flooding, stressing the importance of community cooperation in these efforts. He was represented by Happiness Akpulonu, the Head of the Department of Pollution Control and Environmental Health.
The commissioner expressed concern over the low compliance rates observed during the June cleanup initiative. He criticized vendors at Orie Ugba Market, where a garbage dump was discovered, warning that authorities may resort to enforcing environmental laws more strictly in the future.
Ogbonna urged sanitary inspectors across both urban and rural areas of the state to enhance their outreach and monitoring activities to mitigate potential flooding and health risks.
Kalu Mba Nwoke, Chairman of the Abia State House of Assembly Committee on Environment, also spoke on sanitation matters, urging the Umuahia Capital Development Authority and relevant agencies to clear blocked gutters on Owerri Road and Isi Gate to avert flooding disasters.
In a related effort, Yaro Danlandi, leader of the Hausa community in Abia State, supervised the clearing of drainage in the Ama Hausa area and reaffirmed his support for the environmental initiatives led by Governor Alex Otti.
On Saturday, an environmental task force apprehended 66 individuals in Umuahia for violations of state environmental regulations. These individuals were brought before a mobile court presided over by His Worship O.C. Ibekwe. Of those arrested, seven were released due to health concerns and identification as students, while nine others were tasked with community service.
Forty defendants were found guilty and ordered to pay fines to the state government for their infractions.
