Anambra Environment Commissioner, Aguiyi Unveils New Direction For OCHA Brigade, To Focus On Environmental Order

Anambra State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Clem Aguiyi, has unveiled a new direction for the Operation Clean and Healthy Anambra, OCHA Brigade, with a renewed mandate to restore environmental order and make the agency a stronger instrument for a cleaner, healthier and more liveable Anambra.

Speaking during a strategic meeting with zonal commanders and heads of the Brigade in Awka, Dr. Aguiyi said the time had come for OCHA to move into a new phase of purposeful and professional environmental enforcement, in line with Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s declaration of a State of Emergency on the Environment.

The Commissioner described OCHA as the “environmental police” of Anambra State, stressing that its responsibility is not merely enforcement, but the protection of the environment and the restoration of public confidence. He said the Brigade must operate within its statutory mandate and become a visible symbol of renewed hope in the state’s environmental transformation.

Dr. Aguiyi identified Onitsha and environs, Awka and Nnewi as immediate priority areas, with interventions targeting blocked and cleared drainages, closed catchment pits, illegal structures and shanties, street trading, indiscriminate parking and other environmental nuisances.

He called for smarter and more innovative enforcement, particularly in addressing roadside parking, urging businesses to provide parking spaces and encouraging the use of suitable private spaces as organised parking facilities.

While demanding results, the Commissioner warned officers against abuse of power, insisting that OCHA’s renewed approach must combine firmness with professionalism, responsibility and respect for citizens.

“Our agenda has a deadline. We must recalibrate, build sustainable structures and create lasting environmental consciousness,” Aguiyi said, signalling a new chapter for the Brigade as the operational arm of the Ministry in the fight for a cleaner Anambra.

The Acting Managing Director of OCHA Brigade, Comrade Agbuafune Anthony, welcomed the renewed direction and assured the Commissioner that the Brigade was ready to embrace the new agenda and work towards restoring environmental order across the state.

With a clearer mandate, stronger enforcement and renewed leadership, OCHA Brigade is being positioned not simply as an enforcement agency, but as a renewed hope for the environmental future of Anambra State.