IKPEAZU AS AN APOSTLE OF ABIA’S ENVIRONMENTAL GLORY

BY UCHE NWOSU// FAMOUS REPORTERS

When John Keats, the 17th century English poet wrote that “a thing of beauty is a joy forever, its loveliness increases, it will never pass into nothingness, but still will keep a bower quiet for us and a sleep full of sweet dreams with health and quiet breathing”, he unwittingly was referring to the 21th century Abia State, where an administration led by a scholar in government, Okezie Ikpeazu PhD has made the cleanliness of that state a sine qua non for development.

Indeed, before the winding down of the year 2019, the Abia State government graciously made remarkable moves that restored the sanitation and environmental cleanliness of the state a priority with the inauguration of a crack environment team led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Barr Chris Ezem and the present Commissioner for Finance, Dr Aham Uko as a member.

It will be recalled that the two cities of Abia State were before then ravaged by garbage that debased the environment with its attendant pollution of the atmosphere. The protruding debris made the cities despicable as threat of Lassa fever became imminent. The committee, after its inauguration, hit the road running, producing quality results which restored sanity a month after its inauguration.

Remarkably, the ad-hoc committee went all out and executed its assignment with religious zeal and military precision, avoiding some pit holes that tended to frustrate its terms of reference. The ad-hoc team quickly restored sanity to Umuahia and Aba as it worked round the clock in order to accomplish its time-bound assignment. 

The good news is that the cleanup was not only concentrated on the two cities but the entire state that wore a new look that cascaded into the year 2020. To ensure continuity, the governor, appointed a set of wastes managers to follow up on the cleanup of the cities which was aptly accomplished by the committee. The waste managers were directed to sustain the continuity and sustainability of the already established clean environment and guarantee the aesthetic beauty and continued sanitation of the state. 

Happily, as they began work, the wastes managers whose assignment were to cleanup various points in the urban and semi urban of the state went into action in earnest, an action that continued to enhance the sustainability of the state as a sanctuary of clean environment. For Abia residents and those passing through the state, Abia, through its cleanup story, has lived up to its sobriquet “Gods Own State”. After all, the Holy Book informs us that “Cleanliness is Next to Godliness”.

Certainly, inward and outward cleanliness is not only associated with the immortal, but also with the ordinary mortals because a clean and decent space attracts a healthy mind. A rich individual intending to invest anywhere may not like to put down his assets in a filthy and unhealthy environment. This is why Abians should continue to maintain the cleanliness already established by Governor Okezie Ikpeazu’s administration.

It should be noted here that the aggressive pursuit of investment around the globe which Okezie Ikpeazu has emerged as the chief driver and small and medium scale ambassador will only be fruitful if Abia State becomes the epicenter of cleanliness in words and in deeds. However, the best way of sustaining its success is to maintain a clean environment by all Abians.

Interestingly, Governor Ikpeazu has gone through the length and breadth of the world selling Made-in-Abia products to the wider world and explaining the need for the international community as well as the local investors to exploit the numerous investment opportunities prevalent in the state. Such worldwide business moves could be turned to a mere jamboree if the converts to Abia’s incredible industrial, commercial and business preachment arrive the state to behold a space immersed in dirt and garbage.

This is why the return of tranquility and peace at Isigate, Umuahia after about 60 years of riotous trading there is commendable. In fact, the serenity and cherubic nature now prevalent at Isigate give vent to the postulation of Patrick Jake O’Rourke, the American satirist of the 20th century that, “if our desire to preserve the environment is real, then we should make that preservation provide economic benefits”.

Commendably, an alternative space has been provided for the perishable and itinerant traders at Amuzukwu Umuahia. They should explore the opportunities in the new place and indeed other virgin sub-markets scattered around Umuahia to do their businesses. After all, Andre Gide, the 18th century French novelist in one of his novels, warned that “one doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time”.

Meanwhile, the laudable effort of the administration to clean up the space is strengthened by the recent award of contract to dredge the drainage that crisscrosses Umuahia, the state capital. Let us recall that whenever there is heavy downpour, current of water emanating from the rains overflow some major roads and streets in Umuahia and in most cases flow into residential buildings.

To curb this discomforting menace, the government awarded the contract for the scooping of the debris in the drainage which had hindered free flow of current of water into it as the rains fall. The dredging will now ensure free flow of water from every point in Umuahia to the stream at the Modern Ceramics Industry near Umuobia Community. Without doubt, the aim of the Sam Mbakwe administration of Old Imo State which constructed it was to make Umuahia town floodless and therefore healthy to live in.

However, at the collapse of that government in the 1980s, the cleaning as well as the effort to sustain the free flow of current of water into the drainage suffered some neglect. Today, the Ikpeazu’s government has risen up to the challenge of dredging it to save Umuahia from being submerged by flood.

Interestingly, this endeavour to maintain a healthy environment in our society by the Ikpeazu’s administration has in no small measures checked the spread of Lassa fever epidemic and forestall any outbreak of the dreaded Coronavirus infection whose spread in some parts of the world are rats and rodents. Reports from China where the Coronavirus started said the pandemic has killed hundreds of people since its outbreak.  

Indeed, residents of the city living in roads and streets like Calabar, Ibeku, Niger, Abam, Kaduna, Awolowo, Agulu, Awkuzu, Igbere, Olokoro, Nkwere, Arochukwu including St Paul’s Anglican Church, and others can now heavy a sigh of relief as a messiah has come to save them from being washed away during the rains.

By Uche Nwosu, a Public Affairs Commentator, Umuahia