LAGOS MARCH 26TH (URHOBOTODAY)-No fewer than forty  persons were yesterday  convicted by the special mobile court in Ughelli, the administrative headquarters of Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, over sanitation offenses.

 The persons who were found loitering during the sanitation exercise were awarded various fines ranging from clearing of grass to paying a certain amount of money to the local government Treasury to serve as deterrent to others.

 The exercise which was monitored by the Commissioner for Environment, The officials of the Department of Environment in Ughelli North Local Government Area and various paramilitary was described as successful.

Speaking shortly after the sanitation exercise, the Commissioner for Environment, Chief Godspower Asiuhwu disclosed that he decided to pick special interest in the monthly environmental sanitation because he found that most people do not obsess about the sanitation exercise, rather, they just take it as a normal routine and sit at home.

The Commissioner noted that based on the observation, he decided to take the sanitation exercise to the grass root, which were the local government areas of the state.

He said hitherto 5 local government areas had been visited so far which were Warri South, Uvwie, Udu, Ika South and Ika North East, and Ughelli North Local Government Area which is the sixth.

Chief Asiuhwu said he also noticed that some local government chairman do not motivate the Department of Environment to carry out the sanitation exercise, which had affected the exercise negatively across the state.

While scoring Ughelli North high, the Commissioner commended the Ughelli North Local Government Chairman, Chief Godwin Adode and officials of the Environment Department for keeping the town clean, but observed that there were still challenges in the market areas.

He urged the Ughelli North Local Government Chairman to set up a different taskforce for the market and also support the environment department for effective sanitation of the markets in Ughelli.

The Commissioner said the taskforce should not be the one that would go to the market to harass the market women, but should on a daily basis sensitize them on the need to keep their environment clean.

He also condemned the act of trading under the high tension, which he said was highly dangerous, noting that last year some persons would have been electrocuted but for God’s intervention, just as he added that the Director of the motor park operating under the high tension had been invited to his office.

Chief Asiuhwu disclosed that 3 filling stations had been sealed, while about 40 persons had been fined and urged Ughelli residents to always observe the monthly exercise and do everything possible to keep their environment clean every day and drive away reptiles and other dangerous objects.

The HOD in the Department of Environment, Sanitarian Victory Ikpobako said she was satisfied with the outcome of the exercise, attributing it to the presence of the Commissioner for Environment and various strategies the Department put in place by involving the youth, the security agencies and the paramilitary to monitor the exercise.

She appealed to the Ughelli North Local Government Chairman to support the department of environment financially for effective sanitation exercise in the locality.

Delta Bulletin