Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, has charged operatives of the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade to remain at the forefront of the state government’s efforts to combat environmental degradation.
Dr. Aguiyi gave the charge on Monday during a working visit and facility tour of the OCHA Brigade headquarters, where he reminded the operatives of the responsibility for which the agency was established.
The Commissioner said the law establishing the OCHA Brigade specifically designated it as the state’s environmental police, responsible for enforcing environmental laws and regulations.
He said the state government was committed to strengthening the brigade and ensuring that its personnel remained dedicated to their duties, noting that the task of protecting the environment was enormous and required sustained commitment.
Aguiyi said Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s declaration of a state of emergency on the environment during activities marking Anambra’s 35th anniversary required the Ministry of Environment and the OCHA Brigade to review and strengthen their implementation and enforcement plans.
According to him, the renewed efforts would focus on sanitation, drainage and runoff water management, illegal sand mining and excavation, deforestation, as well as proper waste disposal and management in markets, streets and residential areas.
The Commissioner also tasked OCHA Brigade personnel with maintaining discipline, dedication and exemplary conduct while on duty.
He specifically urged the operatives to always wear their official name tags and conduct themselves professionally in the discharge of their responsibilities.
The Acting Managing Director of the OCHA Brigade, Mr. Anthony Agbaefuna, who was represented by the Head of Operations, Mr. Kenneth Ebochina, later conducted the Commissioner on a tour of the brigade’s facilities.
