Abia State orders drainage desilting after a flood alert, launches cleanup, sanitary inspections, and tree-planting to boost environmental safety

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, told journalists in Umuahia on Monday that the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) was working intensively across Aba and Umuahia to clear blocked drains ahead of heavy rains.

Also read: Nigeria Flood Warning Raises Serious Concerns Across 29 States

“We know the devastating effect of blocked drains when it rains. And the kind of rain we have these days, we don’t pray for our drains to be blocked,” Kanu warned, urging residents to stop dumping refuse in gutters.

He disclosed that Abia would join the rest of the world to mark World Cleanup Day on 25 September 2025, with ASEPA collaborating with stakeholder groups to ensure a successful exercise.

The commissioner highlighted the progress of the state’s Sanitary Inspection Services, launched in August, which has so far inspected more than 4,500 premises across 85 communities.

Inspectors, he stressed, must avoid extortion and restrict themselves to enforcing established fines for environmental offences.

“These inspectors are not out there to cause pain for Abians, but to help keep the environment clean,” Kanu explained.

The State Executive Council also approved a tree-planting campaign under its “go green” policy.

Commissioner for Environment, Mr Philemon Ogbonna, said the move would reduce erosion, improve public health, enhance tourism potential, and strengthen Abia’s reputation as a sustainable state.

Kanu added that the initiative would “create civic pride, cut flooding costs, and improve the investment appeal of the state.”

Also read: Flood Response in Nigeria Intensifies Across States

He was joined at the briefing by the chairman of the Civil Service Commission, Pastor Eno Jerry-Eze, and the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma.