AKSG To Demolish Structures Obstructing Natural Drainage Channels

… Directs Stricter Enforcement Of Monthly Sanitation Exercises, Establishment Of Clean A’Ibom Brigade
By Bassey Nkponam
UYO
The Akwa Ibom government has ordered the demolition of buildings on drainage channels, as it unveils the new flood master plan for the State.
The State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, PhD, who gave the order, Wednesday, while interacting with Government House correspondents, shortly after an unscheduled inspection tour of the Judiciary Staff Quarters project in Uyo, warned against illegal developments, declaring that any building found on designated drainage routes would be demolished regardless of ownership, status or previous approvals.
Eno said government would no longer tolerate developments that endanger public safety by blocking waterways and worsening flooding in surrounding communities.
“Anyone that built on a drainage path will have that building demolished, irrespective of who is involved. People do things as if there’s no law,” he said, describing effective flood control as a shared responsibility between government and residents.
He directed the Ministry of Environment, the State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency and the Office of the Attorney-General of Akwa Ibom State to establish Environmental Sanitation Courts to prosecute offenders who violate sanitation regulations, emphasising that rather than relying solely on monetary penalties, the courts would impose community service on offenders, requiring them to participate in environmental clean-up activities, particularly the clearing of blocked drains.
Eno also announced a stricter enforcement of the monthly environmental sanitation exercises, declaring that movement would be prohibited across the state on the last Saturday of every month between 7:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m, warning that ceremonies, commercial activities and arriving travellers would not be exempted from the restriction until the sanitation exercise is concluded.
He directed residents to schedule private events such as weddings and burials outside sanitation hours, warning that movements into the state during restricted periods would not be permitted.
“If you have your wedding or burial, put it for 11:00 a.m.; don’t put it for 10:00 a.m. We won’t allow you. If you are coming into the state, don’t come in before 10:00 a.m. You will stay at the airport until environmental sanitation is over”, the governor advised, maintaining that it was high time the government demonstrated the political will to enforce environmental laws without fear or favour if Akwa Ibom was to overcome its sanitation and flooding challenges.
“We need to now begin to show that government can bark, and it can bite, so that we can solve some of these problems”, Eno stated, adding that while government would continue to invest in drainage infrastructure and flood management, residents must also demonstrate greater environmental responsibility by keeping their surroundings clean and complying with sanitation regulations.
   The governor said the new measures form part of his administration’s broader commitment to protecting lives, safeguarding public infrastructure and building a cleaner, safer and more environmentally sustainable Akwa Ibom.
He announced plans to develop a new flood and drainage master plan, saying he has directed the commissioner for environment to immediately assemble environmental experts, engineers and relevant stakeholders to produce a modern flood and drainage master plan that will guide infrastructure development, drainage construction and flood mitigation across the state, noting that the state’s existing flood management blueprint no longer reflects the realities of rapid urbanisation and expanding infrastructure.
“We need to have a state flood and drainage master plan. The one we have is old. There are new developments that have taken place. We are bringing all our experts together and will develop the state flood master plan so that we can use it.”
The governor announced the immediate establishment of the Clean Akwa Ibom Brigade, a specialised environmental task force under the Ministry of Environment that will focus on keeping drainage channels free of obstructions and ensuring effective flood control.
According to him, the Brigade would complement existing environmental agencies by concentrating specifically on drainage maintenance and flood prevention, stressing that flood control requires a different operational approach from routine waste collection, adding that government will empower the people to work to ensure that flood channels in the State remain clean.