Environmental sanitation officer lauds Anambra govt for establishing mobile court

AN Environmental Health Officer, under the Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Theresa Nwafor has commended the Anambra State Governor, Chief Willie Obiano and the Commissioner of Environment, Mr. Obi Nwankwo who through their supports and efforts instituted mobile courts in the state as a way of ensuring compliance of people in every monthly clean up exercise.

  This statement was made by Mrs. Nwafor on Saturday shortly after a court sitting at Central Police Station in Awka were offenders were tried and convicted immediately for violating the July environmental sanitation, adding that the essence of the mobile court is not to generate revenue for government but rather targeted to make ndi Anambra to adhere to the environmental sanitation law. “It is going to be a continuous effort; I believe that when the governor starts something, he doesn’t put a stop to it and the Ministry has been trying to enforce the Anambra State Waste Management law to know the importance and make them obey the sanitation exercise.

 Violators who were convicted for breaching the environmental law were arraigned before mobile courts in Awka  metropolis, including the Central Police Station, (CPS) Awka, B Division of Nigeria Police and the State Police Command Headquarters, Awka were about 40 persons were tried and punished according to the ambit of law.

 While speaking with newsmen at CPS, a magistrate who presided over the court sitting, His worship Esther Chukwu expressed that four persons out the 20 offenders were exonerated, while the rest were found guilty as charged. Similarly at the time of filing this report at the B Division of Nigeria Police, Awka which was chaired by Anthony Emekue, in his ruling found about 19 persons guilty for violating the environmental law.

 A parent to one of the defaulters, Mr. Ken Okoye described the mobile court as a welcome development to achieve healthy environment and imbibing the culture of environmental friendliness to all and sundry, he however urged the ministry to disseminate enough information to the people and have synergy at grass root levels in making sure that various communities comply to the directives.

 Some of the defaulters arraigned were Chinelo Nwakasi, Patrick Agbo, Amarachi Nnnana, Onyinyechukwuu Ezebuilo, Chinemerem Nwoye, Emmanuel Obunaeme among others were charged according to section 22 and 24 of ASWAMA law which talks about the ground for exemption of offenders and also that anybody found loitering or moving about without engaging in the sanitation exercise from 7:00am to 10:00am is found guilty.

 The ministry in partnership with other environmental bodies like ASWAMA, Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, were seen on duty post in various parts of the state, including Onitsha, Nnewi, among other, were they carried out the exercise by making sure that ndi Anambra take part in the cleanup exercise