By Anne Azuka
The Delta State Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation has given a one-week ultimatum to residents, Government offices, hotels and other business owners to keep their surroundings clean.
The Chairman, Taskforce on Environment Governor’s Office, Chief Godspower Asiuwhu who disclosed this on Tuesday in Asaba while briefing newsmen on the exercise lamented that indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the state capital and the environs had become disturbing and needed to be checked.
In view of this, Asiuwhu said the State Taskforce on Environment and other stakeholders in the sustainability of the environment in the State would set up a mobile court to prosecute offenders at its expiration, with a view to getting residents of the State Capital Territory to adopt environmental best practices.
Asiuwhu decried the unwholesome practice whereby some business operators, households, pedestrians and occupiers of moving vehicles and tricycles disposed of their waste and littered the streets of Asaba and the environs was unhealthy and unlawful, just as it was against the MORE agenda of the present administration.
He called on residents to imbibe the culture of cleanliness at all times, pointing out that government offices, public and private educational institutions, hotels and other business outfits would not be spared in the enforcement exercise.
The Taskforce Chairman emphasized that toilet facilities, blocked drains, overgrown weeds should be given attention, adding that illegal structures should be removed by their owners, while tippers conveying sand and refuse disposal trucks should be properly covered to avoid the content spilling on the road.
Chief Asiuwhu also warned strongly against the emission of greenhouse gases, which he said contributed largely to climate change and urged all contributors to the emission of gaseous carbon, including owners of smoking vehicles, to exercise absolute control of their activities or face the wrath of the law.
“I admonish everyone to intensify efforts at managing their waste properly by disposing such through the Private Sector Participants (PSPs) to government approved dump sites.
“At the expiration of the ultimatum, the Taskforce and other stakeholders in the sustainability of the environment in the state will move to the field to enforce compliance. A Mobile Court will be in place to prosecute offenders”, Chief Asiuwhu reiterated.
On the relationship between the Taskforce, the Waste Management Board and the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, he explained that they had their specific roles, which were not conflicting but aimed at achieving a clean and healthy environment.
Chief Asiuwhu, who is also the Chairman of the Special Taskforce on the control of the activities of daily pay artisans, revealed that all the artisans operating in the state capital had been profiled and issued with ID cards, adding that they had also been given aprons with code numbers, with which they could be tracked in the event of any involvement in criminal activities..
He solicited the support and cooperation of the media in achieving the set goals.
