Akwa Ibom beats Ebonyi, FCT, others to emerge cleanest state
Akwa Ibom State has beaten Ebonyi State, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja and the rest states to emerge Nigeria’s cleanest state for the sixth time with a cumulative score of 72 per cent.
The result was announced yesterday in Uyo, the state capital, following a survey conducted under the five years project review circus, tagged: ‘STONE Pro- Max 2023’.
Akwa Ibom since the inauguration of the STONE project in 2018 has maintained first position, having won five times in a row.
National Coordinator/Secretary, National Technical Study Group (NTSG) on Clean Up Nigeria, Prince Ene Baba Owoh, Jr., congratulated the government and people of Akwa Ibom State on emerging five times overall Cleanest State in Nigeria.
“For emerging the overall best performing state in the six years performance indicators and five times cleanest state in Nigeria under the six years project circus review period (2018-2023) tagged: ‘STONE Pro-Max 2023’, Akwa Ibom State will be conferred with the STONE 2023 Pro-Max 2018-2023 Cleanest State in Nigeria Green Crystal Award.
“It is therefore our privilege to proudly invite the Chairman of Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSPEWMA), Obong Prince Ikim, to come forward and receive the Cleanest State in Nigeria Pro-max Green Crystal Awards certification in all the five performance indicators and the STONE Pro-max (2018-2023) five times Cleanest State in Nigeria, Green Crystal Award,” he said.
Owoh also announced Ebonyi and FCT to have closely followed Akwa Ibom in second and third positions with 50 and 47 per cent scores.
He encouraged stakeholders to engage in peer review mechanism by creating time to visit both best performing states/cities and the backward states/cities to gain more insight into what the top states are doing in order to improve on their performance ratings.
the state government to continue to work to ensure a safe and secure environment through institutional framework that would support a safe environment.
The commissioner pledged government’s commitment to proper waste management, end to gas flaring and other practices that threaten the serenity of the environment.
Reacting to the awards, the Chairman, Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSPEWMA), Prince Akpan Ikim, paid glowing tributes to former Governor Victor Attah for creating the agency by signing into law the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency CAP 47 law 2000.
He acknowledged former Governor Godswill Akpabio, who built the receptacle maintenance and workshop at Itam, for proper waste disposal and management.
“Then Udom Emmanuel came, and had that political will to constitute the board and gave us all the necessary support and we started winning the cleanest state award in 2018.
“Then Governor Umo Eno, he has given us the necessary support. It is on record that he is the first governor that has joined us for environmental sanitation.
“He has given us a marching order to ensure the state remains the cleanest in Nigeria, ranging from the vegetation. There is what we call environmental sustainability. We are looking at recycling waste to wealth etc.
”So, we are working with the House of Assembly Committee on Environment for a law that has to be in tune with international best practices. The law has to be such that will encourage investors to come in. This is why we are also liaising with AKICORP so that anyone who has investment that has to do with waste will register with them,” he said.
He praised Clean Up Nigeria Initiative for recognising excellence and pledge to keep Akwa Ibom as a model clean state in Nigeria.
