Ebonyi to sanction landlords over lack of facilities

ALL landlords in Abakaliki who failed to comply with the Ebonyi State Government’s directives to equip their houses with Water Closet System (WCS) would be sanction as the dateline for that has expired, the Commissioner for Environment, Ogodo-Ali Nome, said.

Ogodo-Ali, addressing journalists in Abakaliki on Wednesday, restated government’s resolve to ensure safe and healthy environment for residents, adding that it is a sure measure to combat the outbreak of cholera and other diseases ravaging the state.

He disclosed that the two-week ultimatum ended on Wednesday and that the ministry would sanction defaulters. To that end, he said, the ministry would inaugurate taskforce groups with mobile courts – in Afikpo, Onueke and Abakaliki – to prosecute offenders.

According to him, defaulters will either pay a fine of N100,000 or go to jail. Meanwhile, Ogodo-Ali said the first phase of waste clearance in the state has been concluded and the second begun, adding that no waste dump will last 24 hours in the state.

He added: “I must tell you that the present administration is determined to make Abakaliki one of the cleanest cities in the country. Our next targets are the traders clustering the Meat Market Road. Government has repaired the roads, but when I visited the place this morning, people were still trading on the roads.”