Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said that his administration has concluded arrangement to covert wastes generated in the state to energy, saying that private partnership will be involved in the exercise as well as the evacuation of wastes in the state.
The governor who spoke through the State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed that under this arrangement wastes will not only generate wealth and solve the energy needs of the state, but will ensure that employment will be created through it.
Speaking during Saturday’s monitoring of the environment clean up in Umuahia where the Abia chief executive was represented by some members of his state executive council and other appointees of government led by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, Otti assured that the renewal of Abia State has begun.
The Information Commissioner, who was in the entourage, described the clean up exercise as impressive, saying that it is part of keeping Abia clean which the Otti’s government has taken headlong.
In his comment, the Chief of Staff stated that the essence of leading members of his cabinet to take part in the exercise was to mobilize Abians on the need to clean their environment and called on Abians to imbibe the culture of keeping the environment clean at all times.
While expressing joy that many people turned up for the exercise, Ajagba said the July clean up exercise was a success “as people identified with the clean up”. According to him, it was good to engage the people rather than harass or coerce them, saying that it is in line with the principle of inclusiveness of the Otti’s administration.
He warned that henceforth there would be repercussions for defaulters of the exercise, even as he reminded Abians that the task of rebuilding the state is a collective one.
In their remarks, the Commissioner for Environment and Urban Renewal, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, described the exercise as impressive and urged residents of the state to join hands with the administration of Dr. Alex Otti to achieve a sustained clean environment.
According to him, “going forward, every motor park or market that opens during the exercise would be sanctioned as it is not going to be business as usual”.
Similarly, the General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) Mr. Ogbonnia Okereke, said there has been remarkable improvement in refuse management since the inception of the Dr. Otti’s administration and assured that it would be sustained.
The exercise which took the government officials to Isigate, Aba Road, Owerri Road, Uzuakoli Road, Azikiwe Road, Adelabu Street, Hausa quarters at Eke Street among others witnessed impressive turn out of people.
