The Abia State government has inaugurated sanitary inspectors charged with ensuring environment cleanliness.
The Commissioner, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, while inaugurating the inspectors on Thursday argued that the long absence of Sanitary Inspectors in the State, contributed to the environmental filthiness witnessed before the coming on board of the administration of Governor Alex Otti.
Asonye decried that previous administrations in the State did not see the need to utilize the expertise of the Sanitary Inspectors, insisting that this further contributed to environmental filthiness and brought bad name to the State.
Ogbonna contended that the Sanitary workers have been in existence, but the services they rendered went extinct.
He said, “It is also important to state that they have been there, the workers have been there, but the services went extinct. The services went moribund, and this contributed to the poor waste management in the state prior the coming of Dr. Alex Otti’s administration.
“But of course, you know right from day one, Governor Alex Otti said that every part of the State will work. So there is no exception. And then we must have to get back into effective and efficient functionality. The coming on board of the Sanitary Inspectors will, to a large extent, compliment what is already in existence.
Continuing, “What we are doing today is to commission the Inspectors and ensure that they do what they are supposed to do, no littering of the environment. From today, much success will be recorded in environmental cleanliness.”
The Commissioner also identified funding as a factor that may have contributed to the poor success in the past, insisting that the Governor Alex Otti led administration in the State, has shown great commitment in this area, saying that the newly commissioned Inspectors will get all the necessary support that will ensure they succeed in their new assignment.
“We are all living witnesses to the type of administrations we had in the past. It’s possible that the Inspectors went into extinction because they were not properly funded. The previous government may not have given the attention required.
“But our present Governor has said no area of his administration will be left out. Every aspect must work. So the issue is that the service providers must follow the footsteps of their leader.
He called on the newly commissioned Sanitary Inspectors to follow the footsteps of Governor Alex Otti by remaining focused and diligent to their duties, stressing that much is expected from them in the area of proper waste management.
Also speaking, an Environmental Health Officer and Deputy Rector, Abia State College of Health Sciences and Management, Sanitarian Obi-Eze Adimuko (Ph.D), said environmental health is key, emphasizing that cleanliness is next to godliness and prevention is better and cheaper than cure.
He said if the society is able to prevent what causes diseases, curing such will be a bit easier, while commending the Governor of Abia State for coming up with this laudable initiative geared towards improving environmental health in Abia State.
Adimuko said, “The problem we have had is that we have not been able to manage those preventable areas which leads to more challenges in the society. I thank Governor Alex Otti that today the profession is back through this re-awareness programme. Of course we are looking up to its success and ours is to assist the Governor to ensure that it works.”
He decried the paucity of personnel in environmental health, saying the number to pursue this laudable initiative is insignificant, calling on Governor Alex Otti, to consider granting a waiver to enable the employment of more professionals into the field, saying this will ensure that the Inspectors do their job professionally.
Adimuko revealed that his men are capable, determined and fired up to do the work. He insisted that the Governor has given them enough motivation including extra 5 years, regular payment, incentives, recognition, emphasizing that now that Governor Alex Otti has recognized their profession, they are ready than ever to do the job.
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Contributing, Mrs Onyinyechi Nwaigwe, Chairperson, Forum of Environmental HODs in Abia State, said for the past 30 years, Sanitary Inspectors have not had it this good, stressing that they are 100 percent ready to do their job which will reshape the environment, reduce disease burden, enhance commerce, economy of the State among others.
She stated that lack of funding has been a militating factor hindering their performance over the years, emphasizing that assessing local communities vis-à-vis environmental cleanliness was challenging.
Nwaigwe said with the support from the Governor, they are now motivated to carry out the House-to-house inspection of the environment with a view to reshaping the Abia environment.
On his part, Obi Udegha, a Director, Environmental Health, dismissed the notion that Sanitary Inspectors have not been existing, saying funding was a major challenge that forced Sanitary Inspectors back to the fringes.
He commended Governor Otti for coming up with the re-launch of the House-to-house Sanitary Inspection, maintaining that he wants to be relevant in his profession likewise every other Inspector.