Anambra Launches Ecological Guidelines

The Anambra State Government has launched flood, erosion
control and water conservation technical guidelines to reduce its vulnerability
to environmental and ecological disasters.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka last week,
Governor  Peter Obi said his
administration was partnering with the United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) on the implementation of the document.

Obi explained that the policy document was aimed at
providing information on flood management, techniques and measures to protect
the environment from devastation.

He urged members of the public to be alert and conscious of
the official warning of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on the
threat of flooding.

The flooding, he noted, was already manifesting in some
council areas in the state, and listed the council areas to include Ogbaru,
Anambra East and Anambra West, stressing that communities should take
precaution and measures while soliciting for external intervention.

Obi also announced the cancellation of all bids for school
project contracts in various communities, emphasising that contracts for school
and primary health centre projects in any community would be executed by people
from the communities involved.

According to him, this will enable the government to hold
people of the community responsible if anything went wrong.

Explaining further, the Chairman of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs) Implementation Committee, Prof. Chinyere Okunna said
the decision on contracts would encourage communities to take ownership of
projects.