By Simon Ebegbulem

BENIN—Edo State Government has disclosed of plans to set up an Environmental Protection Agency to  address the deliberate act of some persons who sabotage government’s effort in ensuring a clean environment.

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki

Permanent Secretary of the state’s Ministry of Environment, Mr Brai Emoedume, made the disclosure while briefing journalists in Benin City.

Emoedume said:  “People deliberately dump refuse on the road and environment without knowing that these things finds their way back to the drains. Aside the flooding, it will also damage the roads which are not designed to be flooded because when it is flooded it will destroy the road.

“We all suffer from these challenges and must be careful on how we deliberately mess up the environment and hinders government efforts at having a clean and floodless environment. If not, how do you explain why someone arranged about 22 tyres to block a manhole that serves as the central system to address flooding around five junction area of Benin City.

“These tyres would not have been arranged by an ordinary process of carelessness, it is not by negligence, somebody probably noticed that it is the central system to flooding in the area.”