By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
Residents in Calabar and other major towns in Cross River State have called on the state government to enforce stricter measures to sustain environmental sanitation as well as attendance penalties.
They told the commissioner for environment, Moses Osogi when he undertook assessment visits to parts of Calabar metropolis to inspected ongoing disilting of gutters and other channels to be free from blockade .
A resident of Calabar Municipality, Mrs. Peace Bassey, urged the government to strengthen the environmental task force.
She argued that stricter enforcement and penalties for defaulters are necessary to curb the menace of illegal dumping.
A trader, Ms Blessing Akpan expressed happiness for the timely desilting as the rainy season approaches.
However, she observed that improper waste disposal by residents contribute to the degradation, urging the government to address the issue.
On his part, Mr. Anthony Peter, decried the persistent blockage of drainage systems, attributing the problem to the nonchalant attitude of certain residents.
The Commissioner decried the poor sanitary practices of some residents within the Calabar metropolis.
Osogi condemned the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into streets and waterways, particularly during rainfall, noting that such actions were primary contributors to blocked drains and destructive flooding.
“The habit of dumping refuse into drainage channels continues to sabotage government efforts,” Osogi stated.
“We have carried out several interventions along major streets, but these efforts are frequently undermined by negative behavioral attitudes.”
He called on residents to support Government initiatives, stressing that safe environmental practices remain a core message of the current administration.
With the desilting exercise aimed at ensuring the free flow of water, the state expects a significant reduction in flooding across vulnerable areas, Osogi said.
“The long-term sustainability of a “Cleaner and Greener Cross River” depends on the responsible cooperation of itscitizens”, he stressed.
