CRS San: Otu's Commissioner, Market Managements Synergize to Sustain Calabar Clean & Green Esthetics
Hannah ARIKPO
The Cross River Commissioner of Environment, Bar. Bassey Mensah has stressed the need for collaborative efforts between the government and Managements of Major Markets in the Calabar metropolis to sustain the Clean and Green status of the state especially at the markets.
The Commissioner who was briefing Newsmen after supervising this month's Environmental Sanitation Exercise in Calabar insisted on government plans to institute regular sanitation in all major markets to prevent avoidable health challenges.
According to him, Leaders of the markets were expected to drive government environmental policies hence, the need to Synergize, work as a family and make resolutions that will move Cross River forward. He announced plans for a proposed meeting with Market Managements to deliberate on issues of having a particular day for sanitation across the markets in Calabar including other modalities to achieve a cleaner Cross River.
The Environment Boss also harped on the extension of the ban on street trading to the Mobil/ MCC by the Murtala Mohammed Highway.
He states, "we have gone round almost the Wards, residents complied commendably. On reaching- Mobil, traders within this vicinity deliberately avoid the dumpsters and litter the ground. It's an eyesore. That is why the government decided to ban street trading within this vicinity because it is one of the flashpoints in the state Capital," Mensah emphasized.
Special adviser, General Duties, Bar. Ekpenyong Akiba who is also a member of the Sanitation monitoring team, lauded the Commissioner for Environment for his proactive and responsive leadership approach while calling on Residents to ensure total compliance of the sanitation laws
At Ikot Eneobong, eight miles, Calabar where the Sanitation Monitoring team met members of the Ratel Movement working around the Ikot Eneobong area, Commissioner Mensah and SA Akiba promised to make a case to the appropriate authority for the channelization of the Effanga-Effanga / Ikot Eneobong/ Agrofeed axis in order to decongest the highway.
Leader of Monitoring team which Supervised the Calabar South area and General Manager, Cross River State Waste Management Agency, Hon. Bassey Otudor, commended Residents for the level of compliance and support for government propgrammes.
During the exercise, several offenders were arrested and prosecuted, including persons found playing football as well as those found loitering and engaging in trading activities.
Waste generated from the exercise were evacuated simultaneously during the sanitation hours.
