By Balimwor Ekpe
The residents of Cross River State have shown absolute commitment to the maintenance of a clean and healthy environment, through their active participation in the February, 2024 State wide environmental sanitation exercise held on Saturday, February 24, 2024.
As at the hours of the sanitation exercise, residents of Atakpa street, Mayne Avenue,Mbukpa street, Ekpo Abasi, Edgerly and other parts of calabar South Local Government area were seen engaging in the cleaning of water ways, cutting of grasses and evacuation of debris around their premises. Same activities were seen taking place at Atekong drive, Marian Road, Parliamentary village, Ikot Eyo street, Odukpani road, Ikot ishie, Ekrorinim, MCC road, Ibok street and Essien town axis of Calabar Municipality where residents also adhered to the sanitation laws with their cleaning tools participating in the cleaning of their environment.
The Cross River State Comissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Osogi, who witnessed the sanitation, expressed satisfaction with the manner in which Cross Riverians have come out to participate in the cleaning of their environment.
He added that information from other parts of the state showed that there is high level of compliance, saying that such energy and interest the people have committed to the exercise, the lost aesthetics of Cross River will be restored soonest.
Speaking on defaulters of the sanitation law, the environment Commissioner disclosed that a mobile Court is operational to prosecute all defaulters and impose fine on them as punishment for disobeying Government laws. He emphatically stated that the ministry would not pardon human or vehicular movement on the streets during the hours of the next environmental sanitation exercise as everybody is expected to be in their homes cleaning their surroundings, thus as many who are found wanting would be arrested and prosecuted by the sanitation court.
The environment Boss also informed the public that, trucks would from today go round the city to evacuate the waste gotten from the environmental sanitation and take them to the dump site for proper disposal.
“The beauty of Cross River State must be restored”, he concluded.
