ASEPA reaffirms media partnership, cites international commendation for Abia’s cleanliness drive

By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu On Jul 3, 2026

The Deputy General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, Cathist Ambrose Jonah, has described the media as a key partner in driving the agency’s environmental policies to residents across the state.

Jonah made this known on Friday in his office while receiving Mr. Emeka Onyekwere, who paid a courtesy visit to present a certificate obtained at the second quarter Induction Ceremony of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, (NIPR).

He vowed that ASEPA would continue to maintain a cordial working relationship with journalists and other media practitioners.

The DGM said Abia State has continued to receive international recognition following Governor Alex Otti’s resolve to make the state one of the cleanest in Nigeria.

“I was in Lagos last week at the invitation of the Belgium Embassy for a meeting. During our discussion on waste management and a possible partnership with Belgium, the President of the Belgium Chamber of Commerce said he had heard a lot about Abia State and how neat it is,” he said.

“He referenced Abia State and noted how clean it has become, adding that he was pleasantly surprised by what he saw. He specifically commended Abia State.

“This morning, we received a letter inviting the Governor to an event in Belgium in October. That shows we are making progress, even though we are still working to achieve our full goal.”

Jonah also commended Onyekwere for improving his media skills and urged him to deploy the knowledge to project the agency positively.

“Emeka has remained a humble and dedicated person as my immediate aide. He is very calm. It is not only me who appreciates him; the entire agency does, to the extent that even my General Manager has asked him to handle key matters in the agency.

“I am proud, and I thank God I did not make a mistake in appointing you as my Media Aide. You have added a lot of value to this agency,” he said.

The DGM tasked the media not to relent in educating the public on the need to keep their environment clean, especially during the rainy season.

“Our challenge is that Nigerians seem to have become used to lawlessness. Sometimes when we arrest people for littering from moving vehicles, some will complain, as if disobedience has become a culture. But these are habits we must stop.

“We need the support of the communication and media industry to set the pace. Change begins somewhere. If we can start from Abia State, it will be to our credit.

“Be assured that we will always support the communication and media industry in the discharge of their duties,” he added.

Also speaking, a Lecturer in the Department of Library and Information Science, Abia State University, Uturu, Dr. Justice Okorie, commended ASEPA for its efforts in making Abia one of the cleanest states in Nigeria.

He said ,“Since the emergence of this administration, you have worked to bring about positive change. Government cannot act alone; it requires the consent and support of the people. That is why the media industry is important to what you are doing,” he said.

“Those who visit Abia commend its beauty and uniqueness. Your work reflects on the government. Monitoring and supervision are critical to ensure that those deployed are delivering results.

“I commend your media team. Media plays a vital role in projecting Abia positively beyond its borders. When those in the media industry attend conferences and return with new ideas, will help change the sector for the better.

“We are grateful to Mr. Governor.
Last paragraph, second line, last week I got a call from my friends saying that they had heard a lot about the state and when they came, I hosted them and took them around Umuahia. They remarked, Abia is very beautiful’ one of them.
One of them said the beauty of Abia is due to the cleanliness of her cities. I give credit to the Governor and ASEPA.”