Stop diverting sanitation defaulters to police stations; law maker warn police
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, Umuahia
The member Representing Ohafia South State constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly
Hon Kalu Mba Nwoke, has frowned at the attitude of some Police operatives attached to the Central Police Station Umuahia, who arres and divert defaulters during the monthly clean up exercise to the police station.
Nwoke, who spoke shortly after monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise on Saturday called on the Commissioner of Police in the state to ask the policeman to desist from the act
He advised police personnel to always hand over defaulters to the state Environmental Mobile Court for prosecution.
Nwoke also disclosed that he will bring the issue up at the floor of the State House of Assembly for appropriate resolution to be moved on it .
He said, “We want police officers to work in synergy with the state Ministry of Environment in future exercise. The monies generated from defaulters should be paid into the state coffers to increase it’s Internally Generated Revenue, not into private pockets.
“I will also make a presentation to the governor on the incident. I know Gov. Alex Otti, condemns every form of corruption and the action by policemen is corruption and they are subjecting the masses to undo hardship”.
The law maker who is the chairman
House Committee on Environment, further revealed that cleanliness of markets in the state is of Labour Party administration’s priorities, adding a clean and healthy environment will help prevent the spread of communicable diseases in the state
He commended traders at Orie-Ugba market in Umuahia for their compliance and charged them to maintain the improvement recorded in September sanitation exercise.
Also speaking the Abia State Commissioner of Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna, commended Abia residents for effective compliance, and the leadership of Ugba community for enforcing the exercise in the market.
Ogbonna who was represented by the Director in Charge, of the ministry, Rev. Udochukwu Joseph,
harped on the need for intra state motorists to adhere strictly to the Abia State Environmental Laws by not driving into the city center during the period of the exercise.