Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has restated the administration’s commitment to ensuring that the state remains Nigeria’s cleanest state, while also sustaining the pursuit of making it the nation’s premier tourism destination.

The Governor who was monitoring the February edition of the State’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise at some locations in Uyo, the state capital, expressed satisfaction with the compliance of citizens and the extent to which the exercise has yielded positive results.

Speaking at the Itam Junction flyover, Governor Eno lauded the clean and hospitable disposition of the Akwa Ibom people which, according to him, has accounted for its Cleanliness Performance Index (CPI) award as Nigeria’s cleanest state for six consecutive years.

“If you know anything about an Akwa Ibom person, you can tell that we are clean people. I believe we should continue to maintain that.

“Akwa Ibom has been declared the cleanest state in this nation up to six times. So we must continue to maintain that status,” he said.

Commending the facelift given to the Itam Flyover by the colourful artistic decoration, the Governor commended the Anietie Eka – led Uyo Capital City Development Authority (UCCDA), and charging that the aesthetics be maintained, saying it depicts Akwa Ibom’s rich cultural heritage.

“I am very proud of what I have seen here. Akwa Ibom is growing rapidly towards becoming the numero uno tourism destination of Nigeria, and I am sure by the grace of God, that we would get there.

“These designs depict our culture, our people and who we are. I am only asking that we should maintain it, and not allow hoodlums to take over these places. We should not allow these things to be vandalised,” the governor charged.

Meanwhile, no fewer than 158 persons were arrested across the state for flouting the February edition of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

Despite the high level of compliance recorded across the state, some residents were caught violating the environmental laws and were apprehended by the task force teams deployed to various locations.

The offenders were immediately arraigned before the Environmental Sanitation Court in Uyo, the state capital.

The Presiding Judge, Senior Magistrate Amanda Effiom, charged the accused with failing to participate in the monthly sanitation, a violation punishable under Section 39 of the Akwa Ibom State Public Health Law.

However, a mild drama played out in court when some defaulters from other ethnic groups feigned ignorance of the English language in an attempt to stall proceedings, prompting the court to engage an interpreter for translation.

In her ruling, the senior magistrate handed down various penalties, including community service within the court premises and on major roads in Uyo, ranging from three to five days to the offenders, while others were given the option of fines of between N3,000 and N12,000.