Environmental Sanitation: Osogi Squashes Illegal Structures in 2025 first Sanitation Exercise ... Launches 'Operation Keep CRS Clean.
Hannah ARIKPO
The Cross River Commissioner of Environment Hon. Moses Osogi has commenced the demolition of illegal structures in the state with the Calabar metropolis being the first culprit in its 2025 sanitation programme.
Areas affected include, Effio-ette, MCC, state housing and the marina.
The demolition is a post sanitation exercise that makes up the ministry's 2025 sanitation agenda geared towards a transformative strategy designed towards sustaining Cross River Clean and Green status as the cleanest state in the country as well as a tourism hub in the world.
The demolition which is a continuum will also be carried out regularly in other urban centres in the state.
Briefing Newsmen in Calabar, after the monitoring and supervision of the first monthly sanitation exercise for 2025, the leader of the sanitation team, Osogi states "2025 is not going to be monthly sanitation as usual". After monthly sanitation there shall be post sanitation exercise. We have seen a lot of illegal structures, people are taking advantage by erecting illegal structures in discriminatory everywhere, so we are going to demolish all of them not only in Calabar Municipality but also in other urban centres in the state. It is a message to Cross Riverians, whoever is putting up structures illegally we are going to pull them down. If you have a shop and a drainage in front of you clean it. The law says keep your environment clean. Everybody must inculcate into our system the aspect of keeping our environment Clean and Green. Cleanliness is next to Godliness".
Osogi further disclosed the state government's plan to establish a 'Fruit Arcade' at the Zoo garden along Mary slessor avenue Calabar, where construction work is ongoing.
On completion, all the traders selling fruits along the road, watt market, mobile junction etc will be moved to do business there.
On waste management, the environment Commissioner announced that the government has engaged the services of investors for a waste management web, to ensure a standardised proper waste disposal in the state adding that in the next four months burning of waste at various dump sites will be a thing of the past.
