One hundred and ten persons were arrested in Umuahia and its environs on Saturday for disobeying the Abia State government’s directive restricting movement of people during environmental sanitation hours.
The defaulters were picked on the road and in their business premises and brought to Abia State High Court where a mobile court was sitting.
Some of the arrested defaulters were sentenced and fined in line with Abia State Basic Environmental Law while others were released on health grounds by the Presiding Magistrate, Onyinyechi Chinenye Ibekwe.
Some other defaulters were handed over to the officials of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) for non-custodial services like cleaning of environment and cutting of grass. They were allowed to go after carrying out the penalties.
Speaking to journalists after the November clean up exercise, Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Philemon Ogbonna, expressed satisfaction with the success recorded in compliance.
He was, however, unhappy with the conduct of traders at Orie Ugba market who habitually litter their trading environment, even on clean up days.
Ogbonna said that his ministry will partner the Umuahia North LGA and Abia State House of Assembly Committee on Environment to sustain the Clean Environment Initiative of Governor Alex Otti.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Umuahia North LGA, Smart Ihuoma, expressed dismay with the sanitary and structural condition of Orie Ugba and Isi Gate areas, promising to sacrifice the internally generated revenue of the council in order to save the lives of the people.
“Revenue is not more important than the lives of the people,” he declared.
