As part of executing the Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s “#SolutionAgenda”, the transition committee chairman, Onitsha North LGA, Hon. Onochie Ozoma and his team are giving serious priority to the environment.
Recounting the essence of their decision as Governor Soludo marks 2nd year in office, the chief servant of the Onitsha North LGA said that a well articulated and reinvented environment devoid of indiscriminate dumping of refuse, with functional and sustainable management of waste, is second to none.
“Our mandate is to provide clean roads, clean gutters, free drainages and flood channels” he said. “We initiated various programmes aimed at realising this mandate, such as War Against Refuse. We created much awareness for bagging of refuse and keeping them in front of elevations of buildings for collection by the refuse collection contractors.
“We appealed for compliance in the use of waste bins by residents and litter baskets by commercial vehicles.
“We took our enlightenment campaigns to the streets with weekly massive processions of teams of environment/ sanitation officers, security, road/traffic personnel, sweepers and refuse attendants.
“We went to the churches for announcement and admonitions; to Radio Stations; to the Internet, Facebook and WhatsApp platforms, etc.
“We introduced weekly prize offer of N10,000 to the cleanest street. Presently, we have raised the winning prize to N50,000 for the cleanest ward, every month. We recruited and deployed
sanitation guards and sanitation marshalls to monitor neighbourhoods and ensure compliance.
“We introduced sanitation clubs in all the primary and secondary schools, to enlighten the age bracket of seven years to 13 years who usually dispose household refuse and engage them constructively.
“We monitor the movement charts of the refuse collection contractors to ensure prompt services. We adopted a strategic plan for desilting of our gutters, drainages and flood channels.
“We have successfully carried out nine exercises in different times and months. Presently, we are doing the 10th exercise also termed “Season 10”.
“We are nurturing a community that will be adorned with clean and green verges; and front elevations of buildings beautified with flowers, fruit and ornamental trees.”