By Balimwor Ekpe
As part of strategic activities carried out during every environmental sanitation exercise with the aim to foster a clean and healthy Cross River, The commissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Osogi who was accompanied by staff of the ministry of environment and other non-governmental agencies that participated in the exercise, went round the metropolis to asses participation of residents and level of work done for the achievement of a clean and healthy State through the environmental sanitation exercise and has applauded residents of the metropolis over their level of compliance, while he also expressed displeasure with the abattoir operators at Ikot Omin, 8 miles over their inappropriate method of waste disposal from their business premises.
During the assessment tour round the city of Calabar, Hon. Osogi and his team apprehended violators of the sanitation laws in some parts of Calabar south, Ikot ansa bus stop, calabar road, murtala Muhammad highway and Ikot Omin who were all handed over to the law enforcement agency for prosecution.
On arriving the Ikot Omin abattoir at 8 Miles, the commissioner condemned the method of waste disposal carried out by by the operators of the facility, lamented that their method of disposing waste without having effluent plant in the abattoir poses peril to residents of the environment where discharged waste terminates. He encouraged them to acquire a waste effluent plant that will properly collect and treat waste before disposal.
Going further, the environment boss expressed his joy and satisfaction with Cross Riverians for their amazing level of compliance to the environmental sanitation exercise, said Cross River State has established a precedence that other States have emulated, which is why the people must continue to partake in the environmental sanitation exercise that has come to stay for the betterment of the State. He also admonished Cross Riverians to be conscious of the forth coming flood and it’s impact, mention the communities to be affected to include Calabar, Odukpani, Abi, Obubra.
Finally the commissioner charged residents of Cross River to continue keeping the State clean as the cleanliness of the State has saved Cross River State from experiencing the outbreak of cholera and other diseases.
