Declaration of Emergency on Environmental Cleanliness turned things around in Abia – Ogbonna 

The Commissioner of the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, stated that the declaration of a state of emergency on the environment by Governor Alex Otti after taking office on May 29th, 2023, along with the ongoing commitment that ensued, is the key factor behind the significant improvement in environmental cleanliness the State has experienced.

In a special interview with Business Hallmark, Mr. Ogbonna discussed the progress made on climate change issues, the intention to implement the Climate Change Act of 2021 locally, and the revival of Sanitary Inspectors as well as the Bio-gas Initiative.

How would you describe the State of emergency declared on environmental cleanliness by Governor Otti on assumption of office?

That declaration of the state of emergency on environmental cleanliness of Abia was a child of necessity. I recall that after assuming office, Governor Otti headed to Aba, took a shovel, and declared a state of emergency on the environmental cleanliness of the state. In years past, before the administration of Governor Alex Otti came on board, Abia was considered the dirtiest state among the 36 states of the federation, while Aba was written off in terms of waste management. But since after that declaration by the Governor, the narrative changed and today, Abia ranks among the cleanest states in Nigeria, all thanks to the visionary and purposeful leadership of Governor Alex Otti.

That declaration came with a lot of commitment to clear what the previous administration failed to do. Waste management today is been top-notch. Under Governor Alex Otti, the State is moving towards the direction of managing wastes by turning it into wealth which some states in the federation are already making significant progress on.

As a Commissioner under the administration of Governor Otti, I can confidently say that he is poised to continue moving the State forward while providing quality leadership to Abians.

Recently, the state government announced plans to return Sanitary Inspectors to enhance environmental cleanliness. What informed that decision?

It boils down to environmental cleanliness. As you must have observed during sanitation exercise, much attention has gone into keeping Umuahia, Aba and Ohafia clean whereas other LGAs in the state are not adequately covered. So the Governor in his wisdom, directed that Sanitary Inspectors be reintroduced to ensure that these other LGAs not captured, also maintain the same status as Umuahia, Aba and Ohafia in respect to environmental cleanliness and waste management.

In the past, it has been alleged that these Inspectors go to rural communities for inspection and instead of doing their work, they collect money. Won’t there be a repeat of this?

Before now, these Inspectors have also been briefed on the sacredness of their job. There has been training and re-training of these Inspectors. Part of the orientation also, is for them to key into the philosophy of transparency that the administration of Governor Alex Otti has instilled in all working under him. They know what is expected of them, and I can assure you that such circumstances will not repeat itself this time. All the administration of Governor Otti is pursuing, is to ensure that Abia remains clean at all times.

Climate Change issues have dominated discussions world over and Nigeria, how has the State keyed in?

That’s true. Governor Alex Otti was indeed prepared before assuming office as the Governor of the State. He has also shown proactiveness in this area to ensure that Abia is not left behind in climate change actions.

On assumption of office, Governor Alex Otti  created a Climate Change Department in the Ministry of Environment whose function included to mitigate the impact of climate change and to ensure that the State instead of being reactive is proactive in tackling Climate Change situations.

You know climate change is a tropical issue before now and there was no department to cater for it. When this government came on board, it saw it as a global matter that Abia should not be excluded from. Governor Otti immediately granted the  request for the establishment of a climate change Department. Presently, the Department is up and running.

Worthy of mention is the fact that after the inception of the Department, a state-wide stakeholders engagement on climate change was held with the goal of bringing stakeholders together to articulate issues concerning climate change and mitigation as well as put up a climate policy.

Also, the state hosted the Director General of the National Council on Climate Change, Dr. Nkiru Mmaduekwe, and her team this year. They came to see first hand, the mangrove forests in Abia while the idea is to make sure that nature based solutions are formulated for climate based issues in the state. They also toured some forests at Ohambele, Obuaku, in Ukwa East and other forests in Abia North.

To be frank, the Governor Alex Otti led administration has achieved a lot in the area of climate change action.

Last year, Abia State was ranked 8th in budget and finance provisions to Climate Change issues. For the first time in Abia history, the State attended COP29, which is a global conference on Climate Change. Of course, the experiences garnered have further assisted the Abia Climate Change Department in its operations.

Are there plans to deepen climate change issues in the State? 

Of course, there are already plans on top gear to domesticate the Climate Change Act of 2021. The Ministry of Environment is currently synergizing with the Ministry of Justice to put up a bill, which is at an advanced stage as we speak. This bill will be transmitted to the State House of Assembly as an Executive Bill when concluded.

Recently, the state government promised to build a biogas plant in abattoirs. What does the State want to achieve?

This is being put in place. The idea is to focus on generating biogas from animal waste to process meat safely. This development would end the dangerous burning of meat with disused tyres, a common alternative to costly firewood in the South-East.

Arrangements have also been concluded to begin the project at the Lokpanta abattoir. We all know that meat processed with tyres poses serious health risks due to the release of toxic substances. The Biogas Initiative approach is just a paradigm shift from the cultural way of roasting meat.

What message do you have for Abians as Governor Otti marks his second year in office?

Governor Otti is God sent to Abia. This is a statement of fact. I urge Abians to continue supporting the administration of Governor Alex Otti. Abians can attest to the fact that it is now a new dawn. They should keep praying for Governor because he still has a lot to accomplish for Abians.