Ebonyi Arrests 48 Over Sanitation Law Violation

The General Manager
of  Ebonyi State Environmental Protection Agency (EBSEPA),  Dr Oke Oke, says 48 persons have been arrested in the state for violating the state’s environmental sanitation law, last Saturday.
Oke who  disclosed this in Abakaliki at a news briefing at the end of the monthly environmental clean-up exercise in the state, said all the 48 persons, who were arrested during the environmental sanitation exercise, were arraigned before the environmental mobile court to face trial.
The general manager also said the state government introduced the cellophane bagging system of waste disposal for a cleaner environment.
He said the measure became necessary in order to curb the indiscriminate littering of waste on the roads and streets of the state capital by residents.
“It is a common sight to see refuse indiscriminately littering the roads and streets of the state capital. This indeed poses an ugly sight as well as environmental degradation. “The cellophane system of bagging the refuse before its disposal will help to stop this phenomenal abuse of the environment and further restore the beauty of the state capital,’’ Oke said.
Oke  said the agency had procured a good number of the cellophane bags to be sold to the public at subsidised prices, stating  that those who wished to procure theirs at other retail outlets were free to do so.
“The agency has procured a number of cellophanes to sell to the public at a reduced cost. Residents are however free to buy the product at any shop or market of their choice. “What is important to us is that wastes to be disposed are bagged in cellophanes before they are taken to refuse dump sites,’’ he said.
The EBSEPA general manager commended the level of compliance by the state’s residents to the monthly clean-up exercises.
“With this, Ebonyi is now ranked among the cleanest states in the federation,’’ he said.