The Rivers State Commissioner for Environment Dr. Nyema Weli has sent a warning message to the State Commissioner of Police Mr. Suleiman Abba to stop his men from aiding others to ignore sanitation rules during sanitation days.
This is sequel to the ignoble acts of police men found to be aiding and abetting sanitation defaulters.
During the November 4, 2011 sanitation exercise in Rivers state, some police officers were found escorting vehicles to do their business in different places during the sanitation exercise.
In a chat with journalists, Dr. Nyema Weli frowned at the scenario, wondered why the police who ought to enforce the law of the sanitation authority which is their duty, chose to encourage residents in the state not to participate in the sanitation exercise, therefore defaulting the exercise.
Dr. Weli urged the state police commissioner to stop his men from such bad acts, stressing that the bad habit would not help the state but rather give it a bad record and draw it backward.
Dr. Weli who spoke through Mr. Napoleon Ewule, the director of Environment and safety in the ministry, further disclosed that one of the police officers has been arrested by the sanitation authority Marshals for involving in such acts.
Dr. Weli commended members of the public for turning out en mass to participate in this month’s sanitation exercise, despite the short notice and urged them to continue in that manner by ensuring that they clean their environments always which would go a long way to maintain high clean environment in the state.
He lauded the sanitation contractors for evacuating the refuse in time, urging them not to relent.
The environment sanitation boss who disclosed that their challenge was lack of environmental health officers, assured that it would soon be a thing of the past.
In a related development, Mr. Isoboye Jack, the chairman of the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority has rated this month’s sanitation exercise 80% improvement compared to other exercises.
Mr. Jack who spoke through his press secretary, Mr. Olalekan Ige, the editor of Independent Monitor newspaper, noted that there was improvement in this month’s sanitation exercise and enjoined the public not to relent but should rather continue.
Meanwhile, a total number of 85 defaulters of the sanitation exercise were arrested by the authority. ####
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
