By Uche Nwosu

Copyright independent

UMUAHIA – Abia State government has warned the newly inaugurated sanitary inspectors against using their position as sanitary inspectors to extort money from the residents of the state.

The government however told them that part of their duties is to insist on the payment necessary environmental fines for sanitary defaulters.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu who handed down the warning while briefing newsmen in Umuahia, informed that following the state government’s decision to go green, in view of the environmental benefits involved, the Abia State Executive Council has approved the statewide tree planting campaign.

According to him, Abia has made appreciable progress in sanitary inspection services with the visit of about 4,500 premises, cutting across 85 communities in the state in August alone by the Environmental Health Officers

The appreciable impact, he observed, followed the reintroduction and launch of sanitary inspection services across the 17 LGAs of the state in August, 2025 by administration of Governor Alex Otti.

“In line with the administration’s ‘Keep Abia Clean Initiative’, and the vision of His Excellency Dr. Alex Otti , to make Abia State the cleanest state in the country, the state government reintroduced sanitary inspection services.

“Since the reintroduction of sanitary inspection services, the inspectors have been making progress.

“So far, they’ve visited about 4,500 premises, cutting across 85 communities in the state,” Okey Kanu declared.

While stressing the need for tree planting which include improvement on the climatic conditions, reduction of erosion, reduction in flooding costs, positioning of the state as a modern and sustainable state among others, the Abia information commissioner challenged Abians to always plant trees.

He disclosed that the state is working round the clock in several parts of Aba and Umuahia to ensure that blocked drains are free from flooding, pointing out that following NIMET’s early warning flood alert, Abia is calling on its citizens and residents to continue to keep the drains free from blockage.

On this year’s World Cleanup Day exercise coming up on September 25, 2025, the commissioner assured that Abia would fully participate in the exercise.

He revealed that ASEPA is working with different stakeholder and partners to ensure a successful celebration of this year’s World Cleanup Day.

In his comment, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna stressed the need for the people of the state to join hands with the government to achieve the objectives of the reintroduction of sanitary inspectors.

His word, “The government cannot do it alone, So every community, village head, traditional ruler should be part of this campaign, and ensure that Abia is clean.

“The objective of the government is not to generate revenue. No, it’s to make sure our environment is clean. So the sanitation inspectors have a duty to make sure that they do their job professionally.

“Of course, the reason why the government has put on a policy of imprest to all the 17 Local Government Environmental Health Officers, is to make sure, there is no reason they will go and extort their communities”.

Answering questions, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma emphasised the for sanitary inspectors to flee from corrupt practices.

“This does not serve as an avenue for extortion of innocent citizens. So given the regular outbreak of diseases we are experiencing these days, I think we should attach serious importance to this.

“This is even in the interest of everyone, especially the rural dwellers. So I would appeal that we help publicise it and make the people understand that this is in their own interest. It is for the good of everyone.

“There is nothing extraordinary we are doing. This was something that was observable in the past. So that is what government is reintroducing. But here government is giving it a human face, ensuring that nobody will have any reason to go out there to extort people,” Ekeoma said.