Monthly Sanitation: C'River Govt Prosecute Defaulters, Impounds Vehicles,Traders Wares.

By: Sylvia Okoi 

In line with the mandate of the Governor of Cross River State, Sen( Prince)Bassey Edet Otu in ensuring the restoration of the green and clean status as well as enforce the State's Environmental Law of Cross River State, Government had on Saturday 30th March, dragged some defaulters of the state's Sanitation law to court.

Speaking to pressmen while monitoring the monthly exercise, the Commissioner for Environment Hon. Moses Osogi, stated that the law will take its full course henceforth on erring citizens, adding that the penalty the defaulters of the march exercise will get is expected to serve as deterrence to others who always display laxity to compliance of Cross River State Government sanitation laws.

Frowning at the incessant flouting of the state's law by some residents in the metropolis, Hon. Osogi disclosed that the mobile courts which have started it operation this month, is empowered to try defaulters of the state's environmental sanitation law without fear or favour.

He informed newsmen that for the March exercise, the enforcement team impounded some vehicles as well as made seizure of reasonable number of trading wares from traders who also flouted the order while the sanitation lasted, to enforce compliance.

He revealed that necessary sanctions would be meted to Peace Mass transport Company and other transport Companies along Ettagbor axis for flouting sanitation orders.

On decentralization of the exercise, the Environment commissioner, maintained that the exercise which holds simultaneously across the 18 Local Government Areas of the state are coordinated by the Heads of Urban Development Authorities across the urban centres.

"In Calabar Metropolis, we have engaged Environmental personnel to oversee the exercise and enforce compliance while our mobile courts are also situated in each of the Urban Centers across the state, " Osogi pointed.

As at the time of compiling this report, significant compliance was recorded as residents were seen engaging actively in the cleanliness of their immediate surroundings and also the evacuation of waste from the drains.

In separate interviews, residents lamented the irregular evacuations, Which has led to accumulated waste and called for urgent Government's intervention.

Commissioner Osogi was accompanied on the monitoring exercise by his team of enforcement personnel including the Permanent Secretary ,Ministry of Environment Mrs. Rosemary Onah, Ambassadors and volunteers of Earth Environment and Climate Care Ambassadors (EECCA) who joined the inspection of major streets in calabar south Local Government Ares and also Calabar Municipal.

In another development, The Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Osogi in a conscientious attempt to stop illegal excavation of sand at Goodluck Jonathan bypass, has arrested some truck drivers and also impounded their vehicles, saying that the move was made to halt pending erosion cases along the road.