Rivers
MCC Staff, Others Arraigned In Court Over Sanitation Law
Chris Oluoh
Two Staff of Monier Construction Company (MCC) were among seven persons arrigned in the Chief Magistrate Court Rumuodomawya, Tuesday for allegedly defaulting the Rivers State Government law on Environmental sanitation.
The accussed were alleged to have been caught by officials of the Environment Sanitation Authority in conjunction with staff of the Rivers State Ministry of Environment while they were disposing refuse at authorized dump sites but outside the official garbage disposal period of 6 pm and 12 midnight.
The two staff of MCC who pleaded not guilty were however granted bail with the sum of N100,000 and one surety.
They said they were not disposing refuse at the site but rather were helping in evacusting refuse as directed them by their company.
While the two MCC Staff, Gibson Isaac and Eneberi Naka were bailed, the other five persons were remanded in custoday by order of the presiding magistrate till 15th October being the day of Environmental Sanitation Court.
Addressing journalists in his office, the Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Barrister Kingsley Chinda said the ministry has designed more strategies to arrest and prosecute offenders of sanitation law in the state.
He express dismay that inspite of the awareness campaigns, people were still in the habit of contravening the law and reiterated that the present administration was determined towards changing the free for all attitude of some persons in the state as regards public health.
The commissioner appealed to members of the public to co-operate wit the government toward arresting offenders of sanitation law especially within Port Harcourt and its environs stressing that since clean environment is for the good health of all, it would be foolhardy to expect only the government to pursue the course alone.
Meanwhile the ministry sealed another super market in Port Harcourt J and J super market, for displaying expired food items for the purchase and consumption of memers of the public.
Chairman, Committee for Environmental Health and Saintation in the ministry, Mr Ewule Napoleon displayed before the Honourable Commissioner for Environment, Barrister Kingsley Chinda and members of Press, 43 items of expired food items from J and J supermarket and explained that the items were inimical to the health of consumers.
Directors of the super market, John and Joseph apologized to people of the state for their negligence and pleaded for forgiveness. Barrister Chinda who granted they plea, warned that should the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on the sup market and directed the committee to unseal the place.
Barrister advised members of the public to be careful over what items they by form the super markets and other sales points.
He said experience has shown that good number of items in the market are expired and inimical to the health.