Corps members, 56 others convicted for environmental offences

BY PETER OKUTU

ABAKALIKI- EBONYI State Environmental Sanitation Court sitting in Abakaliki, weekend, arraigned two pregnant women, two corps members and 54 others for violating the sanitation law in the state.

The culprits were arrested for loitering and refusing to participate in the monthly sanitation exercise which mandated citizens of the state to engage in cleaning their environment regularly.

In her plea, one of the pregnant women (name withheld), stated that she was on her way for antenatal that early morning when she ran into the Environmental Taskforce officers.

Meanwhile, some of the arraigned persons accused the Taskforce officers of demanding bribe from them before they were brought to the court.

In his ruling, the Magistrate, Mr. Chinua Ukwa, who convicted the culprits, explained that their refusal to participate in the clean-up exercise amounted to undermining state laws on sanitation.

He ordered them to pay a fine of N4, 000 each or serve a period of two months imprisonment.

As at the time of this report, only three persons were discharged and acquainted, whereas few other convicts who were unable to pay the fine were taken to the Abakaliki prison at about 2:00pm.

Assessing the level of compliance to the monthly sanitation, the state Commissioner for Environment and Urban Development, Engr. Paul Okorie, noted that there was poor compliance of citizens of the state and called on the state governor, Chief Martin Elechi, to declare second week of December this as another sanitation day.

Okorie stressed the need for citizens of the state to participate in the monthly sanitation put in place by the government, adding that regular cleaning of the environment was a determining factor for healthy living.