The Coordinators of Effium and Effium South Development Centres, Hon. Agbo Sunday, and Hon. Eucharia Ogwale respectively have declared zero tolerance on environmental degradation in Effium autonomous community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The duo, who made the declaration during an on the spot general assessment of the environment, expressed dissatisfaction with the manner at which residents of the area handle their environment.

Speaking during the exercise, the Coordinator of Effium Development Center, Agbo Sunday, who reiterated that a healthy being was a function of a healthy environment, warned that it would not be business as usual.

He explained that the two development centres coordinators were partnering to ensure that the environment was given a facelift, adding that the outcome of the assessment would redirect them on the next steps to take to ensure a clean environment.

He said: “We must give all necessary support to the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State, His Excellency Engineer Chief David Nweze Umahi by stepping down his policy on environmental cleanliness to our dear Effium community.

“When you visit Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, you will notice that Ebonyi State remains one of the neatest states in the federation-courtesy of our workaholic governor, David Umahi. You will also notice that every morning the roads in the town are swept. We can step this down to Effium.

“I want to let you know that Effium is one. There is no discrimination. For that, the two development centre coordinators are going to work as one to give our environment a facelift. In the week to come, that is, the last Saturday of this month, which is 30th November, there will be general clean-up. And this will be monitored to ensure compliance,” Agbo stated.

Corroborating Agbo, Hon. Eucharia Ogwale, said that the era of showing lackadaisical attitude towards ensuring a clean environment would no longer be tolerated.

She noted that before the general sanitation expected to take place the last Saturday of the month, that a taskforce would be set up to ensure that the people complied to the directive.

“We will no longer tolerate the I-do-not-care attitude of our people towards the environment. We have also keyed into the federal government policy against open defecation. All household must have a pit toilet and this we must pursue vigorously.

“Of course, we must stop at nothing to achieve this laudable project. Rather than not achieving it, in the week to come, we shall set up enforcement committee to ensure that every household have a pit toilet so as to discourage open defecation in our community,” she concluded.