By ISAIAH EKA

Akwa Ibom has emerged the cleanest state in Nigeria, under the five-year project review circus, tagged STONE Pro-Max 2023, with a cumulative score of 72 per cent.

The National Co-ordinator/Secretary, National Technical Study Group (NTSG) on Clean Up Nigeria, Prince Ene Baba Owoh, who presented the award on Tuesday in Uyo, congratulated the Government and people of Akwa Ibom for emerging the cleanest state in Nigeria.

“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), Prince Ikim, to come forward to 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-time cleanest state in Nigeria, Green Crystal Award,” Owoh 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 respectively.

He urged all stakeholders to engage in peer review mechanism by making out time to visit both best performing States/Cities and the backward States/Cities to gain more insights into what the top States did to improve on their performance ratings.

He used the occasion to encourage Nigerians to make that positive difference through actions in the interest of the environment; as global citizens.

“We salute Akwa Ibom State, the Pro-Max 2023 Cleanest state in Nigeria. Remember a Clean Nigeria is possible,” he said.

In his remarks, the Akwa Ibom Commissioner for Environment, Mr Uno Etim Uno, commended Clean Up Nigeria Initiative for the recognition and recommended that a strong message be passed to sensitize Nigerians to stay off practices that could negatively impact them.

“Again, we appreciate Clean Up Nigeria for finding us worthy of the award of the cleanest state in Nigeria for the last five years running. We do not take the award for granted, it is a call to do more,” Uno said.

He pledged readiness of the state government to continue to work to ensure a safe and secure environment through institutional framework that would support a safe environment.

Uno also pledged government’s commitment to proper waste management, end to gas flaring and other practices that threaten the serenity of the environment. (NAN)

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