The Deputy General Manager of the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Elder Okezie Ezengwa, has reaffirmed the agency’s unwavering commitment to maintaining a clean and safe Aba, free from environmental pollution.
Ezengwa made this known during a brief meeting held on Friday, October 31, 2025, with the leadership of the Hausa community and market executives at Ariaria Junction along the Aba–Port Harcourt Expressway. The meeting followed the continued sealing of the area by ASEPA due to alleged environmental violations.
The ASEPA deputy boss expressed shock over the level of indiscriminate waste disposal within the community, especially in a location where food items are sold. He lamented the unsanitary conditions in the market, describing it as unsafe for both residents and traders, and questioned how thousands could live and conduct business in an area lacking proper sewage systems.
Also speaking, the Agency’s Legal Adviser, Mr. Nnamdi Adiele, warned that traders who defy sealing orders risk arrest and prosecution.
In his response, the Chairman of the Ariaria Junction Yam Market, Alhaji Motola Magaji Mohammad, admitted responsibility for the poor sanitation and pleaded for leniency, requesting that the area be reopened. Similarly, one of the public restroom managers, Mr. Haresu Ibrahim, acknowledged contributing to the pollution and promised to permanently close his facility.
Other traders present pledged to take personal responsibility for ensuring the area’s cleanliness if ASEPA reopens the market.
However, Elder Ezengwa insisted that the area would remain sealed until the community leadership presents a comprehensive and sustainable waste management plan.
It will be recalled that the Hausa community at Ariaria Junction, which also operates as a roadside market, was sealed by ASEPA on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, following a court order. The action was taken after repeated warnings over environmental pollution and persistent violations of the state’s waste management regulations.
