It was a beehive of activities on Saturday in Issele-Uku, the headquarters of Aniocha North Local Government area as the Local Government Taskforce on Environment and Special Duties commenced massive clearing of the environment.
Chairman of the Local Government Environmental Taskforce and Special Duties, Hon Toby Ukwamedua, the Supervisor for Environmental Health, Hon. Ukamaka Ndubuokwu, and the Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of the Local Government, Hon. Ndubuisi Osemene led the Taskforce to also begin the dislodging of illegal structures along the township roads and streets within Issele-Uku.
The Taskforce began their activities from the Local Government Council Secretariat where they cleared massive offcuts from overgrown trees, in and out of the premises of the Secretariat as well as dislodged illegal occupants along the front perimeter fence of the Council.
Residents in conjunction with members of the Taskforce were also seen del-salting and clearing the drains. Resultant debris was also seen being packed with Pay-loader into trucks and taken to the designated dump sites within Issele-Uku.
The Director of Environmental Health of the Council, Mr. Raphael Onwuegbuzia and other members of the department of Environmental Health of the Council, joined in ensuring proper supervision of the environmental activities.
Speaking with Journalists during the exercise that lasted for several hours, Hon.Toby Ukwamedua, said the exercise was as a result of the matching order given to the Taskforce by the Executive Chairman of the Local Government to ensure aggressive clean up, not only in Issele-Uku, but in all the communities in Aniocha North.
“Issele-Uku being the headquarters of Aniocha North, we are starting here. We sent a demand notice for people who have illegal structures such as buildings on waterways, high tension wire, extensions to the drains and roads.
“We told them about two weeks ago that last Saturday in the Month of August, being an environmental day, we would commence to enforce the demand notice.
“As you can see, today being the last Saturday in the Month of August, we have started, but in a very soft way, because of the hard time our people are facing, we don’t want to put them into much stress.
“We decided to only dislodge the illegal building extensions today, sending a kind of warning to building material sellers and others who drive Joy in going against the Local Government environmental laws by building illegal extensions and stores on the drains and on the roads.
“We have again given them more time to do the needful, because by next time, we are not going to be soft while taking action on the demand notice.
“We are asking them to remove their illegal shops and their material out of the drains and away from the road, so that there will be free flow of traffic, for the local government area to have a new look and be beautiful.”
Hon Ukwamedua, who was a former vice Chairman of the Local Government, said part of the mandate of the Taskforce was to be involved in beautification of the area, even as he noted that, it cannot be said that they are beautifying the area when illegal structures are not being removed and dislodged.
Ukwamedua further noted that the Executive Chairman of the Local Government has already started the beautification of the area since he assumed duties about four weeks ago and said the Taskforce is committed to the use of his beautification template in the execution of their work.
He therefore called on all residents of Aniocha North Local Government Area, to put their hands on deck towards supporting the Executive Chairman of the Local Government to make Aniocha North clean for the benefit of all.
Also in an interview with newsmen, the Local Government Supervisor for Environmental Health, Hon. Ukamaka Ndubuokwu, confirmed that today’s environmental cleanup was deliberate and pre-arranged, to the extent that Demand Notice was issued as well as public announcement made round the area, especially in Issele-Uku.
She commended the exercise and said it was in line with the Executive Chairman’s vision of rebuilding Aniocha North Local Government Area for More GAINS.
“It is the Mandate given to us by the Executive Chairman, Hon. Emma Bazim Chinye, who you all know, to be a Man with great passion for environmental cleanliness.
“The cleanup is for the overall betterment of the People of Aniocha North,” she said and urged residents of the Area to support and cooperate with the Council boss to make the area a better place.
Also in a chat with journalists, the Special Adviser to the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon. Ndubuisi Osemene said with the clearing of the drains, Issele-Uku will experience more free flow of flood water, even as he revealed that plans are on the way for a comprehensive del-salting of drains in Issele-Uku and other communities in Aniocha North Local Government Area.
He appreciated the Aniocha North Council Boss, Hon Emma Bazim Chinye for his forthrightness in bringing about an environmentally friendly area for the people.
