Fifty-eight persons were arrested in various parts of Umuahia on Saturday during the February edition of Abia State’s monthly sanitation exercise.
Many of the defaulters were picked on the roads while others were arrested doing businesses during the 7:00 am to -10:00 am clean up period by the government task force team and brought to a mobile court sitting at the High Court in Umuahia.
Fifty-one out of the the 58 arrested persons were fined or cautioned after being convicted for contravening Abia State Basic Environmental Law while seven persons were pardoned and discharged because of their health conditions.
Speaking to journalists after monitoring the exercise on Saturday, Abia State Commissioner for Environment, Philomon Ogbonna, said the state was known for dirty environment but said that the situation has been changed by the administration of Governor Alex Otti.
The commissioner who was represented by Mr Ikechuckwu Oriuwa, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, expressed disappointment with traders at Orie Ugba market who traded on dirty environment even during the clean up hours and called for a change in their attitude.
He further advised hoteliers in the state against messing up the environment with waste materials.