29th January, 2016
The Ebonyi Government says it has arrested and prosecuted 40 landlords for violating the state’s environmental law.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Chief Ogodoli Nnome, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abakaliki.
Nnome said the landlords were arrested at the Nkaliki area of Abakaliki, for failure to provide approved toilet facilities in their residential and commercial buildings.
“Yes, our ministry arrested 40 landlords at the Nkaliki area of the capital city. The arrest is in line with the provisions of the revised environmental law of Ebonyi.
“The arrested landlords contravened sections of the environmental laws on mandatory provision of toilet facilities in both residential and commercial buildings.
“We have said it times without number that open defecation shall not be tolerated anywhere within the state capital.
“Any person caught indulging or aiding the practice will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the extant laws.
“Those arrested have been charged in the environmental court where they are facing trial.
“The ministry will arrest and prosecute any building owner without approved toilet facilities and seal up such building or buildings,’’ he said.
The commissioner said the task force established by the government to enforce the environment law was moving round the capital city to ensure strict enforcement and compliance.
He appealed to residents, especially tenants, to always ensure that the buildings they were renting for residential of commercial purposes were fitted with modern toilet facilities.
Nnome appealed to chairmen of local government areas and coordinators of development centres in the state to build standard public toilets in strategic places to reduce the rate of open defecation.