Let’s copy Soludo, declare emergency over polluted environment – Princess Nwankwo

A former senior special assistant (SSA) on Environment to the immediate past Anambra state governor, Chief Willie Obiano, Princess Bibiana Nwankwo, has urged Anambra residents to emulate and support Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s aggressive clean-up campaign geared towards transforming the state into a clean and healthy environment.

Nwankwo, who decried the attitude of Anambra residents to refuse disposal, commended the new governor for personally championing the crusade for a clean environment. According to her, the citizens must seize the opportunity of the initiative to reclaim the environment from dirt in their own interest.

“I was overwhelmed with joy when Governor Soludo decided to make the transformation of Okpoko from a slum settlement to a clean and healthy urban centre his first priority. His decision to declare an emergency on sanitation in Onitsha and its environs is also commendable.

Our people must understand the importance of a healthy environment and support what the governor is doing”, Princess Nwankwo said in an exclusive interview with the AnambraDaily.com.

“If we have a clean environment, the rate of hospitalisation and deaths will come down. Most of the diseases afflicting our people nowadays are caused by dirty environment, unhealthy food, impure water and the polluted air we take in. With a clean environment, we will have healthier citizens that would spend more time doing productive activities than trying to recover from their sick beds.READ MORE  NABCOTECH Rector begs political leaders, others to sponsor indigent youths in tertiary education

We should emulate Soludo by declaring a state of emergency on the dirty environment in our homes and communities,” she added.

The founder of the Young Mind Advancement Programme (YMAP) also raised alarm over the increasing rate of young women involved in scams and other criminal activities in their bid to escape poverty. She stressed the need for the newly nominated commissioner for women and children affairs to take up an initiative geared towards tackling the problem.

“The rate at which young girls are being misled into joining quick money-making initiatives is very alarming. Now, an average girl on the street is willing to do just anything in the name of hustle.

If they are not into prostitution, they are looking for a sugar daddy or some boyfriend they can swindle. They are heavily involved in online dating scams and even the one they call Yahoo Yahoo. Some of them even engage in drug trafficking, child trafficking, kidnapping, and armed robbery.

“So, our expectation is that the commissioner of women affairs will get down to the grassroots and begin to engage these young women in discussions and programmes that would change their orientation and career pursuits. This is not the kind of issue that requires organising a summit at Awka. It requires a community-based seminar and programmes that will trickle down to the grassroots.READ MORE  PDP takeover feared as Adamu, other ex-PDP grab APC exco seats

Ada APGA, as she is fondly called, also hailed Governor Soludo for picking the right people for his cabinet. She, however, expressed reservation about the number of women recruited to work with Soludo so far. “I’m not satisfied with the number of women in Soludo’s cabinet. I was thinking that the appointment would be based on a 70:30 ratio so that we will be sure that we have enough women to represent the womenfolk at the highest decision-making organ in the state.

“However, Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s cabinet is well chosen. The good thing about the new cabinet is that youths are involved in it and Soludo chose people who are very good in their respective fields for their portfolios. The problem we used to have in such political appointments was putting round pegs in square holes and forcing a square peg into a round hole.”