Soludo Intensifies Efforts To Sanitize Anambra, Flaggs-Off Phase Two, Anambra Community Plastic Waste Recovery Challenge In Awka

By Ndife David, Awka

In a strategic move to encourage collective participation and actualize Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo's vision of maintaining a Clean, Green, and Sustainable Healthy Living Environment, the Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Environment, has collaborated with the Anambra State Waste Recyclers Association (ASWRA) to launch Phase Two of the All Anambra Community Plastic Waste Recovery Challenge in Awka.

The program, which took place at Jerome Udoji Secretariat in Awka, aims to completely eliminate plastic waste from roads, streets, drainages, waterways, and communities by encouraging proper waste management practices. It is also expected to feature awareness programs, clean-up drives, and innovative solutions to plastic waste management.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, Anambra State Governor, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo, represented by his Deputy, Dr. Onyekachi Ibezim, commended the Ministry of Environment and other agencies for their commitment to collaborating with the State Government to ensure a clean, green, and sustainable Anambra. He stated that the initiative is a welcome development as the environment poses a major existential threat to the state, especially the menace of gully erosion.



Dr. Ibezim emphasized that the Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo-led administration is very intentional about environmental issues, which is why the Governor sprang into action at Okpoko immediately upon assuming office. He noted that the initiative would create indirect jobs in the industrial and environmental sectors, fostering economic growth while promoting environmental sustainability. He further tasked the Environment Commissioner, Engr. Felix Odimegwu, to double his efforts in addition to his already accomplished efforts to meet the expectations of the Anambra State Governor.

The Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Dr. Felix Odimegwu, while appreciating Governor Soludo for his encouragement and support, highlighted the importance of the initiative and its role in addressing plastic pollution. He stated that plastic pollution remains one of the major pressing environmental challenges in the world as it threatens ecosystems, wildlife, and human health. He emphasized the need for a collaborative effort to effectively combat plastic waste and ensure a better quality of life for all.


According to him, the State Government is committed to creating a sustainable environment and fostering responsible consumption and production by encouraging initiatives that enable Ndi Anambra to align with the vision of upholding the 5R circular economy, which includes refusing, reducing, reusing, repurposing, and recycling waste. He outlined the ministry's plans to engage the 179 communities in the state, noting that the initiative will also create employment opportunities for youth and women across Anambra, empowering them to be active participants in essential environmental efforts. He announced monetary awards for the top three communities with the most plastic waste collection: one million naira for first place, five hundred thousand naira for second place, and two hundred and fifty thousand naira for third place.

On his part, the MD/CEO of the Anambra State Waste Management Agency (ASWAMA), Engr. Ozoemena Mike, commended the Environment Commissioner for the lucrative initiative. He decried the alarming rate of plastic waste in the state and stated that the program is a significant step in the right direction that will help reduce, if not completely end, the menace of massive waste in many communities. He further called for proper waste management practices among Ndi Anambra.

Top government functionaries, traditional rulers, secondary schools, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), among others, attended the programme.



Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post