Anambra Must Be Clean, Says Gov. Soludo As He flags off desilting of blocked drainages in Onitsha

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State said that the State must be clean. All gutters must be clean and open, that any shop built on drainages must be removed.

“We want to have a sustainable Anambra, people have blocked the drainages, some built on drainages while some traders use gutters as their waste bin.

Gov. Soludo said this at Ochanja market, Onitsha, during the flag off of “desilting of blocked drainages” for easy flow of flood and to help keep the environment clean.

Speaking at the occasion, Governor Soludo, who was flanked by his Deputy, Dr Onyekachukwu Ibezim, said that the 21 Local Government Areas of the State, would follow suit by flagging off theirs, weekend even as communities and individual homes are expected to flag off theirs after the local governments must have finished theirs.

He said that trees should be planted by the side of roads to save the environment and prevent erosion menace that has caused loss of lives and properties, during rainy season.

Speaking, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Felix Odumegwu, stressed the need for a clean Anambra State, recalling that recently there was flooding following the recent rainfall.

“Sometimes there are loss of lives and properties that are unquantifiable. We have to stop them from occurring. There are some drainages that have not been desilted for years and that is what we are doing, to desilt them for free flow of flood.

“We also ban trading along the roads, because most of their wastes later found their ways back to the drainages after they were desilted.
Those who ignore the directive should be taken to court,” he vowed.

He regretted that some people deliberately disobeyed the law saying that nothing would happen, pointing out that Ministry of Environment will not take that from them.

He stressed the need to restore the lost glory of Onitsha and advised those who used concrete culverts as bridges across the gutters to their shops to remove them, warning that they should be made to pay for such removal if it is done by the government.

In his own contribution, the Managing Director, MD, Anambra State Waste Management Authority, Chief Mike Ozoemena, stressed that cleanliness of the environment is priority to avoid sickness.

“The first thing you give people is security and cleanliness, without cleanliness people will not be healthy as health is wealth . If you go round you see illegal buildings people are putting up. People give bribe and build anything.

“If you see all the blocked drainages, you will see people putting up shops on them, what I ask is, if there is any epidemic here before you get to Awka where we are, it would have killed a lot of people, but we don’t want that,” he prayed.

Earlier, the chairman of Onitsha North Local Government Area, Hon. Onochie Ozoma, stated that Governor Soludo’ was doing the needful adding that his priority is to clean Anambra State.

He said that with the flag off of desilting the drainages, “there will no longer be indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Onitsha. Vehicles should have their little dustbins for passengers to put their refuse.,” he said.

“There should not be any more trading on the roads, building on top of culverts and throwing refuse inside the drainages. Maybe because of population people are no longer interested in hygiene,” he stated.

Also speaking, the chairman of Ochanja Central market, Chief Bonaventure Muo, said that the flag off by the Governor was a welcome development as many containers have fallen on Iweka road as they headed to Onitsha Main market.

“We are not in control of outside the market, and the touts only operate in the environment and not within our market. Governor has said it that task force should be set up immediately to arrest the touts who collect illegal revenues,” he affirmed.

Reacting, the President General of Anambra State Amalgamated Traders’ Association, ASMATA, Chief Humphrey Anuna, expressed satisfaction with the flag off of the desilting of drainages by Governor Soludo’, adding that the Governor has come to better the welfare of the people.

“He has come to better the condition of the people especially on health issues. The refuse is being evacuated as I directed the traders before the Governor now flagged off the desilting of the drainages,” he hinted.

Also on tree planting he said it would help as trees produce oxygen for us coupled with the fact that it helps to checkmate erosion menace.

On illegal erection of shops especially on drainages he said his taskforce, Make-way team, would monitor the illegal structures and make necessary report to Government.

Pic 1. shows Governor Soludo’ addressing the crowd at Ochanja market,

Pic 2 cross sections of blocked drainages