By Chioma Onuegbu

Uyo—Akwa Ibom State Government has warned against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on major streets of Uyo, the state capital, saying those caught in the act would be arrested and prosecuted.

Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environment Protection and Waste Management Agency, AKSEPAWMA,  Akpan Ikim gave the warning while responding to questions on a live radio interview yesterday in Uyo.

Refuse dump 

He noted that sanitary agents have been mobilised for the task.

He said: “With the environmental health officers that we have, we have already restructured a whole lot and the enforcement officers are on the streets now, so anyone caught littering the environment would be arrested and prosecuted.

“The issue of throwing waste from the car would be a thing of the past. We have set aside 6a.m., to7p.m., to evacuate  refuses and any person caught dumping refuse after that will be arrested.”

On the non availability of receptacles in some strategic places within the state capital,  Ikim disclosed that government had partnered a Chinese company to supply more and bigger receptacles especially as the population of Uyo continues to  expand and grow.

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Ikim urged residents to see last Saturday Sanitation exercise which begin by 7a.m., and end by 10a.m., as a collective responsibility aimed at ensuring homes are clean and healthy.

He maintained that government has restructured all apparatus including waste management, enforcement officers, and health officers, to ensure a clean and safe environment.

According to Ikim, the AKSEPAWMA Law authorises the agency, “to visit manufacturing companies, residents, and abattoir  to inspect and ascertain adherence to the best sanitary conditions.”