ENFORCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS: AKSEPWMA TO PARTNER VIGILANTE IN AKWA IBOM
…….In a bid to ensure effectiveness in the enforcement of Environmental Laws within Uyo, the State Capital and other major cities across the State, more than 300 officers of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) are to partner with the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA).
The Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, Hon. Prince Ikim disclosed this on a telephone interview today, Saturday September 28, 2019, while fielding questions on “Sanitation Watch”, a radio Program on Comfort 95.1FM, Uyo.
“As an Agency of the State Government, we have tried our best to sensitize our people against the menace of road- side trading, indiscriminate dumping of refuse and littering. While some residents have shown high level of cooperation, a lots more are still working against the laws. To this end, over 300 officers of the Vigilante group of Nigeria(VGN) have been recruited and added to the Enforcement team of the Agency. From October 3rd, those officers of the VGN will resume duty at different bits (dump points) and any defaulter of the environmental laws will be made to face the full weight of the law” Ikim Added.
Speaking on the attitude of the enforcement team, Ikim Said: “the officer of the VGN have just returned from a compulsory training which held at Police Training college in Nonwa, Port harcourt of Rivers State. They have been properly trained on Courtesy, intelligence gathering, regimentation, counter-terrorism and even anti-kidnapping, so I expect them to display high level of professionalism in the discharge of their duties. Meanwhile, let me use this opportunity again to call on Akwa Ibom people to cooperate with the Agency and her officers so that we can all have a clean and safe environment.”
The former Council Boss of Oruk Anam reminded all Citizens and residents of the State to Always bag and dispose their waste between 6pm and 6am at designated dump points. Ikim who decried that most receptacles and dumpsters are always empty while refuse are dropped on the ground, warned those who are fond of such act to desist from it, adding that anyone apprehended will be prosecuted.
The Waste Management Boss while calling on the general public to be law abiding, charged them to always report any officer of the Agency who indulges in any unlawful act to his office for appropriate sanctions.
(C) Emma Akpabio
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