Anambra Govt Launches Multi-Agency Task Force for Environmental Law Enforcement

By Ukpa Ewa

The Anambra State Government has inaugurated a multi-agency task force to implement the full enforcement of the Environmental Management Protection and Administration Law 2024, beginning from November 24, 2025.

The initiative aims to strengthen environmental protection, curb erosion, improve sanitation and maintain global environmental standards across the state.

Speaking during a press briefing at the Jerome Udoji Secretariat Complex, Awka, the Commissioner for Environment Dr. Felix Odimegwu said the task force is made up of Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA), Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra (OCHA) Brigade and the Anambra State Erosion Watershed and Climate Change Agency (ANSEWCCA).

Dr. Odimegwu explained that the enforcement follows a full year of sensitization campaigns, public education and stakeholder consultations across the state. He noted that the law would now be applied strictly and without exception to safeguard public health, strengthen climate resilience, prevent flooding and erosion and ensure sustainable environmental management in all communities.

He said enforcement will cover environmental impact assessment compliance, stormwater control, runoff management, drainage setbacks and the required landscaping standards.

According to him, every compound in the state must maintain at least 50 percent green area through grassing and tree planting to reduce surface runoff, recharge groundwater and enhance urban aesthetics.

He added that non-compliance will attract sanctions, sealing of premises and fines as stipulated by the law. Other focus areas include waste management and sanitation, regulation of overloaded sand trucks, removal of shanties and roadside structures, wastewater clearance for facilities serving over 50 persons and prohibition of open burning across the state.

In his contribution, the Managing Director of ASWAMA, Engr. Mike Ozoemena, said the era of waste indiscipline was over. He warned residents against illegal dumping of refuse and insisted that waste must be disposed only at approved sites.

He urged households and business owners to keep their premises clean and provide waste receptacles that meet standard specifications, noting that proper waste storage would help reduce littering and improve the efficiency of waste evacuation. Ozoemena added that Anambra is cleaner than it used to be but more work still needs to be done to achieve the state’s sanitation vision.

Also speaking, the Managing Director of OCHA Brigade, Comrade Celestine Anere, announced that the agency will begin door-to-door enforcement to check for mandatory waste bins and compliance with environmental standards.

He said officers have undergone rigorous training and warned that the Brigade would not tolerate attacks on its staff performing lawful duties. He emphasized that all car wash operators must obtain approval from the ministry, which will specify the type of catchment pits and water-channeling systems required to prevent environmental contamination.

Anere further warned motorists against throwing waste on the streets, describing it as a serious offence and urged transport unions to enforce in-vehicle waste containers among their members.

Contributing also, Director-General of ANSEWCCA, Prof. Philip Phil-Eze, decried the rising impact of poor waste disposal on erosion in Anambra, describing the state as the erosion capital of the world. He said indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainages, roadsides, uncompleted buildings and informal sites obstructs water flow and triggers flooding that destroys roads, uproots trees and displaces communities.

He urged residents to adopt proper waste disposal practices, stressing that compliance with the EIA process and environmental regulations would help mitigate erosion risks.

The Commissioner however appealed to Ndi Anambra, community leaders and the media to support the enforcement drive, noting that environmental protection is a collective responsibility and essential for building a clean, orderly and climate-resilient state.