Flood: Clear drainages, avoid blocked waterways — Abia govt tells residents

… warns sanitary inspectors against extortion

Following the NIMET early warning flood alert, the Abia State government has appealed to residents to ensure they keep their drainage systems clean and avoid blocked waterways.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu made this appeals Monday while briefing newsmen on the outcome of the week’s Executive Council, EXCO briefing chaired by the state governor, Alex Otti, stating, “we are using this medium to call on Abians to continue to keep our drains, our gutters, as the case may be, free from being blocked.

“ASEPA (Abia State Environmental Protection Agency) is working around the clock in parts of Aba and Umuahia to ensure that blocked drains are free from flooding. Of course, we know the devastating effect of blocked drains when it rains. And the kind of rains we have these days, we don’t pray for our drains to be blocked, whether it is in Umuahia, in Aba, or any part of the state.

“So ASEPA is working round the clock to free these drains, and we are using this opportunity to appeal to Abians to ensure they don’t dump refuse in our gutters or drains”.

As a result therefore, he said, “On the 25th of September 2025, Abia State will join the rest of the world to celebrate this year’s World Cleanup Day. ASEPA is working with different stakeholders and groups and partners to ensure a successful celebration of this year’s version of the World Cleanup Exercise”.

In line with the administration’s keep Abia clean initiative and the vision of Governor Alex Otti to make Abia State the cleanest state in the country, the Commissioner said that the state government introduced the Sanitary Inspection Services, which was officially launched sometime in August 2025 and meant to boost the vision of making Abia the cleanest state in the country.

According to him “since the introduction of the Sanitary Inspection Services, the inspectors have been making progress. So far, they have visited about 4,500 premises, cutting across 85 communities in the state. To ensure the efficient delivery of their services, the sanitary inspectors have been advised not to use their positions or offices as an avenue to extort money from the citizens, but rather to insist on the payment of established environmental default fines only”.

The Commissioner disclosed also that about six new roads will be commissioned soon in the state., adding. “so far, 33 roads have been commissioned in the state. And if these additional six are commissioned in the next couple of weeks, it will bring to a total of 39 road projects commissioned in the state.

On issues about health workers, Prince Kanu said, “at the onset, about 2,035 applications were received while 1,752 applicants were shortlisted. 1,404 applicants completed the CBT assessment test stage in two cohorts. The first cohort had about 1,250 applicants and the mop-up cohort had about 154 applicants.The interview for those who were successful during the CBT test is ongoing”.

“So they are not out there to cause pain for Abians, but to help keep the environment clean. Following the state government’s decision to go green, council has approved a statewide tree planting campaign in view of the environmental benefits involved. Of course, we know that tree planting will improve the climatic conditions in the state.

“It will reduce erosion and carbon capture. Socially, it will improve the state of public health, urban beauty, and create some civic pride in Abians. Economically, it will reduce flooding costs and improve the investment appeal of the state while encouraging tourism.”

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