By Sunday Egede
The Chairman of Delta State Taskforce on Environment, Chief Godspower Asiuwhu, yesterday, said the taskforce will not leave any stone unturned in achieving Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s vision to prioritize environmental sustainability and the safety of Deltans as well as that of those coming to the state to do business.
Chief Asiuwhu, who was accompanied by the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Beautification, Chief Emmanuel Okpomo, disclosed this while monitoring the evacuation of hoodlums under Koka Bridge and demolition of illegal structures at the Koka Jucntion in Asaba.
He said the exercise was going to be a routine action because of Governor Oborevwori’s irrevocable commitment to promoting environmental sustainability in the state, such that at the end of the governor’s eight-year tenure, even the unborn children will know the lasting legacy of his administration in terms of environmental sustainability.
According to him, the environment is key to the MORE Agenda of the present administration in the state, reiterating that, for that reason, the taskforce will not leave any stone unturned in exercising its mandates.
“Today, our focus is the Coker Junction. Coker Junction, as you know, has more than seven routes straight to the Overhead Bridge from where you can go to Ibusa Junction, to Ibusa main town and to Summit Junction or you can even take it down to Falcon Club and DLA Junction.
“We will not leave any stone unturned to make sure that we carry out this exercise on a regular basis so that His Excellency’s vision to prioritize environmental sustainability and the safety of Deltans as well as that of those coming to the state to do business is guaranteed.
“As you can see actually, we discovered some hard drugs in the course of this exercise and it is not our duty to prosecute people on the issue of hard drugs. That is why we handed the drugs over to the law enforcement agency who, l know, will take proper action on the issue,” he added.
While saying that the governor has given them the matching order to carry out their assignment both day and night, the chairman warned those who were asked to vacate the area not come again, stressing that if they dare the taskforce, they will regret their action.
On why a pharmacy along the Koka axis of the Asaba/Ughelli dual carriageway was sealed, Chief Asiuwhu said the pharmacy was not sealed because of what they were selling inside as they were not expert to know the approved drugs they were suppose to sell, adding that it was sealed because they violated the state environmental laws of the state.
“You can see that there are some shanties in front of that building housing the pharmacy and it was not just only the pharmacy that was sealed, there were other stores there that were also sealed,” he added.
On his assessment of PWAN, a developer that had an understanding with the state government to beautify the Koka Junction, the taskforce chairman said the speed of the firm (PWAN) was discouraging.
“If PWAN is not ready to do what he had vowed and promised His Excellency that he was going to do, then we, His Excellency foot-soldiers that are on ground, will report back to His Excellency that PWAN was not ready to do what promised to do,” he said.
Also speaking during the exercise, the Executive Assistant to the Governor on Beautification,
Chief Emmanuel Okpomo said the joint taskforce will sustain the drive to ensure environmental sustainability in the state in line with the vision of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori.
“We are not taking laws into our hands. We know the economy is hard, but that is not a justification for you to create a lot of problems for the government because we cannot be using tax payers money to take care of other people’s foolishness.
“So, I believe that with what we have done today, we will come up with some suggestions to the state government on what it can do to permanently curb the menace at Koka Junction,” he said, stressing that the exercise would be sustained both day and night until the aim of the state government was achieved.
The executive assistant assured that members of the joint taskforce will do their best in carrying out their mandates, pointing out that they will not be violent about it, even as he emphasised that they will work with the people on the streets to make sure that they achieve the state government’s goal.
The taskforce was accompanied by a retinue of security personnel in several security trucks during the exercise where makeshift structures under high tension electricity cables along the Asaba/Ughelli dual carriageway were demolished.
