Stop Dumping Refuse In Drainages Or Face Sanctions, Abia Govt Warns Residents

The Abia State Government has warned residents to stop dumping refuse inside drainages and waterways, saying defaulters will be severely punished when caught.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, gave the warning on Saturday in Umuahia while speaking to newsmen after monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Ogbonna said the recent flooding recorded in parts of the state was caused by blocked drainages resulting from indiscriminate dumping of waste, especially during rainfall.

He noted that while the government, through the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, and other relevant agencies, is working to keep drains open, some residents still dump waste into waterways.

“That should stop. They are doing it and going free because nobody has seen them. If we see them, they will pay dearly for it. The weight of the law will fall on that person,” he warned.

The Commissioner said he observed a high level of compliance in Umuahia during the exercise, which he noted is returning after being irregular for some time.

He commended enforcement agencies for their support and lauded volunteers at Afara area who came out to clean their environment, despite attempts by some persons to attack them.

Ogbonna, however, expressed displeasure over the attitude of some traders at Orie Ugba market, saying government has engaged their leadership to ensure full compliance in subsequent exercises.

He appealed to Abians to take the three-hour monthly sanitation exercise seriously, stressing that the campaign for a clean environment is for the benefit of all and not for government alone.