Calabar residents call-out environment commissioner over resurgence of refuse hips
The sudden return of hips of refuse at multiple locations in Calabar fondly called Canaan City has cought the attention of residents who are calling on the Cross River State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Osogi to evolve new strategies that would address the menace.
Dr. Ekeng Edem, residing on State Housing Lane opposite First Bank, Ndidem Iso branch lamented the foot-dragging by the Environment mnistry to evacuate refuse behind the premises of Cross River State Water Ltd which is causing health and environmental hazards and making it difficult for motorist to access the Ediba Qua Clan road in Calabar Municipal Council Area.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Osogi who spoke to a LENS Reporter on Sunday, October 22nd 2023 through an aide pointed out that waste disposal is ongoing but decried the untoward behaviour of some residents not disposing their refuse properly. He said the ministry is making efforts to tackle it.
And continuing, the Commissioner revealed that he has taken some intervention measures like introduction of the general monthly sanitation exercise and weekly sanitation for all markets in Calabar metropolis as stop-gaps to restoring the clean status of Cross River State which recently was rated the third most cleanest state in Nigeria. He attributed the record to the tireless efforts of the Ministry of Environment.
Recalled that the Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Moses Osogi during a working visit to office of Director General of the National Council on Climate Change (NCCC), Dr. Salisu Dahiru in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) last week called for collaboration with the National Council on Climate Change to enable it mitigate climate change patterns in the state.
Osogi stated that the courtesy call was propelled by the need to interface and understudy the dynamics of NCCC as well as seek support for the state in the face of the rising climate change cycle because of the importance of the environment to the inhabitants of Cross River State stressing that environment provides residents with food, water, air and many other services that humans rely upon for survival.
Dr. Salisu Dahiru appreciated the Commissioner for his visit and applauded him for his professional disposition while promising his council’s collaboration to boost activities of the environment especially in the implementation of the global climate change action plan with focus geared towards uplifting and improving the livelihood of Cross Riverians.
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
