By Godwin-Maria Utuedoye
Very recently, precisely Thursday, October 29, 2025, Ughelli North Local Government (LG) Chairman, Jaro Egbo, declared compulsory environmental sanitation within headquarter Ughelli town and environs.
The outcome of the exercise however raised questions over residents’ acceptability. Many unconcerned respondents doubt Egbo’s sincerity and commitment to effectiveness of the exercise.
Stakeholders criticized the decision as only serving to disrupt business activities, create chaos, and did not result in any meaningfully clean environment.
Many also believed the exercise was a ploy to feasts on council funds for extraneous gains even as others questioned the LG boss’s sense of cleanliness base on the apparent abandonment of the most critical spots begging for environmental attention, poor timing and execution of the sanitation.
It was gathered the council boss wanted the Ughelli metropolis to be neat and clean especially the Ughelli Main Market were he had allegedly ban use of wheel barrow by hawkers.
Indeed a clean environment is good for the well being of the people. However, there is also offensive to pursue such a course in diversionary intent if residents are right in their suspicion and lack of confidence in the exercise going by the lacunas and sundry lapses experienced during the exercise.
Routinely, Delta state environmental sanitation is held every last Saturday of every month. It is also referred to as ‘general sanitation’ in which movement of all kinds is restricted especially for those within the state.
One would have thought if there be any other environmental sanitation in any local government area, it should be for shops and business owners, better still, those who use their residential premises for commercial activities.
But no, Jaro Egbo, declared a general sanitation for Ughelli and environs. He shut down all economic activities for several hours.
Tracking Impact:
The exercise did not yield any positive impact. Rather it disorganized, disrupted businesses, instigated petty show of force and intimidation by touts either recruited or arrogated to selves, abusive power to maim, extort and harass lawful citizens going about their legitimate works.
Again, drains that where cleared by some residents where thrown on roads as there where no provision for trucks and pay loader caterpillars to clear the debris from the drains.
Was The Exercise Really Desirable?
Yes if all machineries will be available but no, if no plans. Residents described the decision of the chairman as misplacement of priority, gross abuse of power and an allege ploy to divert council funds as no one audit environmental sanitation expenditures. So it is a well calculated plan to satisfy an individual private account.
Did Chairman Display Sense Of Cleanliness?
This question came up during the said sanitation exercise. Many residents queried the decision of the chairman, describing it as nothing but a deceit. They argued that a man with the right sense of cleanliness wouldn’t have messed up all major roads with debris and waste unpleasant to the eyes.
For many, instead of focusing on proper road repairs and waste management, he chose to engage in frivolity. For instance, key roads in Ughelli like Post office Road by the High Court, Isodje Junction at Oteri, Emurotu Road to Olotu through to Government College, Adonovwe to Afiesere Road, Mission Road to Okorodafe were left as eyesore.
Also, Olori Road, Uloho Avenue and many others are nothing but nightmares to residents, but instead of even palliative repairs, the Council chairman said in his response to someone post on Facebook, “The council bought it from the company”.
That response alone wasn’t funny. A local government purchasing refuse to patch failed roads. The sections he claimed to have repaired are so awful once it rains. The filling not properly smoothened, car owners and other road users suffer untold pains driving through.
This is happening in a local government council where millions of Naira will be quoted as spent on environmental sanitation. Residents are questioning if a responsive minded person would abandon thorough repair of internal roads to chase shadows in guise of carrying out environmental sanitation. This is sheer misplaced priority.
It is appropriate for proper timing, convincing reasons, transparency and accountability in fixing a special environmental sanitation aside the day already fixed by the state, and also, proper utilization of funds allocated for environmental sanitation exercise.
It’s hoped the chairman improves on governance when he returns as he’s said to have jetted out to Canada, probably for personal or political engagements. It’s believed he will see and learn how the overseas environment where he has travelled is kept clean so he applies same when he returns.