Governor Emeka Ihedioha of Imo State, yesterday, said the state lost its prize as cleanest state under Rochas Okorocha’s eight-year tenure as governor
Ihedioha spoke during the inauguration of the committee on monthly clean-up headed by former governor of the state, Ikedi Ohakim, at Government House, Owerri.
Membership of the 10-man committee includes all the heads of security agencies in the state; tertiary institutions; Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN; Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC; Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, among others.
Giving his reason for appointing Ohakim as chairman of the committee, Ihedioha said when Ohakim was governor, the state won the award three consecutive times as the cleanest state in the country from the Federal Ministry of Environment.
Ihedioha said: “I want to thank all, particularly Sir Ikedi Ohakim, who has kept fate with the vision of this administration to make Imo a cleaner state. The monthly cleanup programme commences from July.
“You recall that in 2008, 2009 and 2010, Imo won the cleanest prize in the federation. The prize was started by the Federal Ministry of Environment. Thereafter, we lost that legacy in the last eight years.”
Responding, Ohakim said: “What you have done today is a revolution. 75 percent of human behavior, according to a psychologist, is controlled by the environment.
“If you have a beautiful environment, your behavior will be beautiful. If you have a dirty environment, all you do will be dirty.
“Imo women will love you more because what you are doing today will make their husbands very healthy. “Your children will be healthy; they will not have malaria and their husbands will perform their duties.”