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Information Commissioner, mr. Charles Aniagwu and Environment Commissioner, Mr. Chris Onogba at the press briefing.

Delta state Government today, October 14, 2019, made a passionate appeal to citizens and residents of the state to have a change of attitude by taking responsibility and ownership of their environment and ensuring a clean environment at all times.

The plea was made at a special press briefing by an ad-hoc committee set up by the government comprising officials of the Ministry of Environment, the Delta State Capital Development Agency, Delta State Waste Management Board and the Directorate of Orientation.

At the briefing were the Commissioners of Information, Mr. Charles Aniagwu; Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Chris Onogba; Director General Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency (DSCTDA), Hon. (Mrs) Joan Mrakpor; Chairman, Delta State Waste Management Board (DSWMB), Mr. Emma Chinye, and the Director General, Directorate of Orientation, Barrister Eugene Uzum. Officials from the Ministry of Environmnet, the state capital Development Agency, and the Waste management board will constitute the task force to be called Task Force on Environment.

Taking turns to intimate the Press about the object of their mission, the officials said that the state government is concerned about the unbecoming filthy condition of the state and was determined to engage the people to change their attitude and turn a new lease by ensuring the cleanliness of their surroundings.

To ensure compliance, Mrs. Mrakpor disclosed that by next week Wednesday, October 23, 2019 the seven day demand notice will end when people are expected to begin complying with keeping their environments clean. She said: “There is a mobile court that will try those who contravene the environment law. Delta State is in need of investors. We have to take care of our externals. “
She continued: “What we are seeing in Delta State is giving wrong impression of the state, especially with the externals. Buildings, offices with dirty environment is where the hawkers go to set up as their base.”

The Environment commissioner, Mr. Onogba said “if we want to have a stronger Delta then we must take ownership of our environment”. He pointed out that tourism cannot thrive in a dirty environment. “Everyone must play a role. We must make Delta state clean. People must take responsibility and ownership of the environment. I want to challenge everyone to begin to take ownership of their environment. As from Monday, October 14, 2019, all shanties will be brought down,” Onogba said, adding that every nook and cranny that contravenes the law will be brought to book.

Pointing out that engaging a culture of cleanliness of the environment requires a change of attitude, he said “we want to do what is right to ensure that citizens and residents in Delta state take ownership of their environment.”

For the Chairman, Delta state Waste Management Board, Mr. Emma Chinye, a clean environment is what Governor Ifeanyi Okowa has passion for. “If you have a house or a store, you must be registered with PSP operators. It is an offence not to register, and when you register, you also pay your bills as at when due,” he said.

He said his board wants to pile up the wastes in the state and get them out and make Delta state clean, assuring that in the next couple of weeks, a cleaner delta State would be seen.
Speaking, Barrister Uzum said that the mandate of the Directorate of Orientation is to help change the mindset and orientation of the people for a cleaner environment.

Answering question on the rickety nature of the PSP vehicles that are always in bad shape, and which constitute a nuisance on the roads, the Waste management Board chairman, Mr. Chinye disclosed that a meeting has been called where all PSP operators are to be present with their vehicles, adding that there will be no approval for any PSP vehicle that is in bad shape and rickety to operate.