Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo recently initiated a measure to make the state the cleanest state in Nigeria with the launch of a major environmental sustainability initiative termed Operation Clean, Green and Sustainable Anambra. The Governor also inaugurated the Clean, Green and Sustainable Anambra Executive Committee headed by the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, with the mandate to integrate a habitable homeland and urban regeneration for Ndi Anambra.
The initiative is an indication of the Governor’s passion and commitment towards building a healthy and environment-friendly state.
In view of this, the state government also began early to take measures against flooding by embarking on campaign of desilting various drainage channels across the state. This is a noble action and worthy of commendation and support.
However, no people-oriented government policies and programmes can be sustainable if left for the government to do it alone. For Anambra State to become clean, green, sustainable and habitable, there must be joint effort between the government and the citizenry. Hence, the urgent need for every person resident in this state to imbibe environmental friendly attitude.
Ndi Anambra must have a change of behaviour towards their environment. Every resident of the state should take ownership of his or her surroundings by ensuring that these areas are kept clean and tidy on daily basis and not only on monthly sanitation day. It should no longer be business as usual where residents dispose wastes indiscriminately without taking thought of how such attitude endanger the environment and its inhabitants.
A dirty environment breeds diseases making the inhabitants unhealthy and unable to reach their full potential in life. It is also a disturbing fact that Anambra is erosion -prone state with over one thousand active erosion sites across the state. When people
use wastes they generate from their daily activities to block waterways and drainage channels, such attitude aggravate the erosion issues in the state.
To tackle gully erosion issues is not a child’s play and the number of erosion sites in Anambra State has gone way beyond what the state government can handle alone if the federal government and development partners do not come to her aid. If nothing is done fast , a time may come when Ndi Anambra will look for their homeland and will not find it.
To prevent this from happening is possible and the time to do it is NOW! And how to do it is by joining hands with the state government in all its activities to ensure clean, green and sustainable Anambra.
Cleaning and desilting of drainages in our surroundings, proper disposal of refuse and wastes, and planting trees instead of deforestation should become a life style.
In addition, Anambra families should go back to teaching their children and wards the right ways to dispose refuse and desist from littering their environment.
Furthermore, it will not be out of place if the state ministry of education will include in its curriculum a subject that lays emphasis on environmental cleanliness and protection and teach such to pupils and students to imbibe in them a positive attitudinal change towards the environment
Religious organizations can also include environmental cleanliness and protection in their corporate social responsibility
In conclusion, the state government should also establish a sustainable enforcement mechanism to ensure that every individual, family, community and group plays its role towards achieving the goal of clean, green and habitable Anambra State, and anyone found wanting should be made to face the music.
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Written by QUEEN ANIGBOGU
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