The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Akwa Ibom State Branch has lauded the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), Prince Akpan Ikim, on his remarkable achievements so far recorded in ensuring that Uyo and Akwa Ibom State are reckoned nationally as the cleanest city and State, respectively, in Nigeria.

This was contained in a letter of commendation written to Prince Akpan Ikim by the CLO through its State Secretary, Comrade (Barr.) Christopher Ekpo, dated 9th April 2020, a copy of which was made available to newsmen.

According to Comrade (Barr.) Christopher Ekpo, the CLO was particularly impressed that such a reputable environmental protection NGO as ‘Clean-Up Nigeria’ had applauded Ikim’s commendable efforts as the Chairman of AKSEPWMA which led to the recent rating of Akwa Ibom State as the cleanest State in Nigeria, and Uyo as the second cleanest city in Nigeria after Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria.

“According to Clean-Up Nigeria, the ratings submitted by the National Technical Study Group (NTSG) showed that Akwa Ibom State scored 68 percent, followed by Cross River State with 41 percent. In the city category, Abuja scored 68 percent followed by Uyo with 66 percent. Based on the ratings by the NTSG, Akwa Ibom State emerged the cleanest State in Nigeria while Uyo emerged the second cleanest city in Nigeria after Abuja, the Federal Capital of Nigeria, for 2019,” CLO's letter stated.

The civil society group congratulated Prince Ikim and his agency on their remarkable strides in ensuring a clean environment for the people of Uyo and Akwa Ibom State and urged them not to rest on their oars but to keep up and even surpass the current achievements by improving on the enviable standard so far set in Uyo and Akwa Ibom State, adding that the CLO is sanguine that very soon, and through the sustenance of Ikim’s remarkable efforts, Uyo will become and remain the cleanest city in Nigeria.