The Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Kingsley Chinda has called on corporate organisations operating in the state to partner with government so as to keep the state clean.

The commissioner made the call recently in his office while receiving some sanitation equipment donated by the United Bank of Africa (UBA).

Mr. Chinda, who appealed to other corporate organisations to emulate the gesture by UBA, said, government alone could not bear the burden of keeping the state clean.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Rufus Godwins said, to keep the state clean, the Ministry had decided to partner with companies in the task and thanked UBA for the donation.

Earlier, the Regional Director, UBA, Port Harcourt East, Mr. Nwogo Oragbon said, the bank took the decision to make the donation as part of their corporate social responsibility aimed at keeping Port Harcourt clean, stressing that, the exercise was to encourage other corporate bodies to do the same.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the state Environment Sanitation Authority (RSESA), Nnamdi Wokekoro says the cleanliness of the state is a collective one.

Mr. Nnamdi Wokekoro, said this in his office while answering questions from journalists at the weekend.

According to him, the cleanliness exercise is not limited to Port Harcourt City and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas alone as all the local government chairmen of the state are mandated by law to ensure that sanitation exercise takes place in their local government areas every month.

On the persuasion, enlightenment and enforcement programmes of the Authority,  Hon Wokekoro explained that the activities are carried out simultaneously

But he appealed to all residents in the state to, actively participate in the monthly sanitation exercise, as the Authority’s enforcement staff do not take delight in punishing defaulters.

He warned residents of Port Harcourt Township and Borikiri areas of Port Harcourt City Local Government to desist from playing football or undertaking their private business engagements during sanitation period.