A Professor of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) and 44 others were arrested and prosecuted on Saturday by the Akwa Ibom State Government for contravening the state’s monthly sanitation.
The sanitation holds every last Saturday of the month between 7am and 10am.
The clean-up, which started last year by the Udom Emmanuel administration, was the initiative of the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Iniobong Essien.
It is aimed at ensuring a clean environment through hygienic practices among residents.
The 45 defaulters, who were picked up by sanitation monitoring teams within Uyo, the capital city, were charged at the Sanitation Court, chaired by Rebecca Akpan, with committing an offence under Section 4 (m), which is punishable under Section 38 of Akwa Ibom State Public Health Law, Cap 103, Volume 5 of 2000.
The woman professor, whose name was not given to the media, was discharged and acquitted on self-recognisance.
This followed her appeal to the mobile court that she was on her way to clean up her church after completing the sanitation at home.
A few others, who were said to be students, were pardoned after convincing the court that they were on transit through the state and were not aware of the sanitation.
Those who pleaded guilty were asked to pay a fine of N3,000 each. But about 20 others, who pleaded not guilty, were remanded in prison custody.
They would be arraigned tomorrow by the government.
A dry cleaner, Mr Aniebiet Michael, who was arrested on Oron Road at 8 am, said: “I came from church in the morning for the sanitation at my shop, off Oron Road, when I was arrested by the task force and brought to the Sanitation Court. I pleaded guilty when I saw the seriousness, and the magistrate fined me N3,000.
“I did not have the money; so, I called my brother, who paid before the court closed at 2 pm.
“Those who could not pay or were defiant, and pleaded not guilty – about 20 of them – were conveyed in a long bus to a prison.
‘’There they would stay till Tuesday, to either pay the fine – for those who were fined – or have their case against the state started – for those who pleaded not guilty.”
Also, at the popular Uyo market, Dr Essien warned the traders to keep their stalls and shops clean or face sanctions.
The commissioner advised them to get polythene bags to pack their waste and drop at designated points.
He reminded them that the Emmanuel administration was determined to ensure that Akwa Ibom regained its glory as the cleanest state and its residents the cleanest.
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