Imos state government says it deliberately abandoned refuse dump to punish residents

Remember that priest who celebrated his birthday in front of a refuse dump on Oct. 1 in order to raise awareness of the problem? The Imo State government has reacted. During an early morning phone-in programme anchored by Hot 99.5 FM, Owerri, Chief Press Secretary to the government Mr. Samuel Onwuemeodo said: 

“Government deliberately abandoned the refuse along Douglas Road, Owerri, to get back at Owerri people who have been battling the state government, over the relocation of the market”.

The Governor’s CPS, who poured invectives on the leadership and indigenes of Owerri municipality, also fumed that “Owerri people must be made to understand that they cannot eat their cake and have it.”

He further explained that “there is a court order restraining government from tampering with the market and this also explains why we left the refuse.”

Most of the citizens who called into the programme, described the abandonment of the huge refuse as “a damnable plot to inflict hardship and disease on the people and not to respect a court order.”

Is this the proper way for a government to engage those it was elected to serve?

This post first appeared on Linda Ikeji's Blog. Read the original story here.