Abia Detains Centenarian Akara Vendor, 65 Others for Sanitation Violations

The Abia State Government took action on Saturday, apprehending a 109-year-old akara seller along with 65 other individuals for failing to comply with the June monthly environmental sanitation exercise. Following this incident, the state administration issued a stern warning, indicating that it might have to resort to more forceful methods of enforcement due to persistent low participation from residents.

A total of 66 defaulters were taken into custody. Out of these, seven individuals were released on compassionate grounds related to health issues or student status, while nine others were assigned community service. The elderly woman, identified as Ma Chidinma Eluwa, who operates an akara stall on Owerri Road, was discharged without incurring any fine. She provided an assurance to the authorities that she would adhere to the sanitation directives in subsequent exercises.

After the sanitation drive concluded, environmental officials expressed their concerns. They lamented that the poor turnout was undoing years of progress, particularly noting that markets were becoming engulfed in refuse. This situation was exacerbated by the fact that the exercise had not been conducted in the state for the preceding three months.

Speaking on Saturday after the activity, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, the Commissioner for Environment, whose remarks were delivered by Mrs. Happiness Akpulonu, the Head of Population Control and Environmental Health, stated that the use of “brute force” might become unavoidable. She attributed the decline in compliance to the months-long hiatus in sanitation activities, which she claimed had led to significant waste accumulation, especially at Orie Ugba Market and other major markets across the state. “We were overwhelmed today. My team could not clear all the refuse we were meant to clear. Residents in Umuahia especially respond better to enforcement than advice. We may have to stop advising them and start enforcing compliance,” she added. Mr. Ogbonna also urged local government chairmen to mobilize their communities for clean-up days and to enhance supervision efforts.

Furthermore, Hon. Kalu Mba-Nwoke, who serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Environment and represents the Ohafia South State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, also spoke on the matter. He linked the poor compliance to the three months of inactivity. He implored residents of Abia to view cleanliness as an ongoing daily responsibility, rather than limiting it to designated sanitation days. “Environmental sanitation must be continuous. Even without government directives, we should clean our surroundings because it is our duty,” he emphasized. He also made a specific appeal, stating, “I want to call on the UCDA GM. The UCDA GM, whose office it is to take care of drainage cleaning, the Sultan, should take care of the East Sea Gates to shop right. The gutters there, the drainages there, are completely blocked”.

At Eket Street by Owerri Road, Alhaji Yaro Danladi, the leader of the Northern Community in Abia State and Chairman of the Northern Traditional Council for the South-South and South-East, reaffirmed his community’s full backing for the monthly environmental sanitation initiative by the Abia State Government. Eze Danladi highlighted that members of the Northern Community actively took part in the clean-up, showcasing their dedication to the government’s efforts towards environmental sustainability and fostering a healthier society. He noted that the monthly sanitation exercise is a crucial initiative that merits widespread support from all residents, explaining that a clean environment plays a vital role in preventing the spread of diseases like malaria by reducing mosquito breeding grounds. He commended Governor Alex Otti for his unwavering commitment to improving the state through people-focused policies and encouraged him to maintain his focus on delivering effective governance. Danladi also encouraged all residents across the state to embrace environmental sanitation as a collective responsibility, stressing that unified participation would significantly contribute to public health and the overall development of Abia State.