Rev. Canon Uche Chinamerem, a priest of the Anglican Diocese of Owerri  caught everyone’s attention when he was pictured posing before a heap of refuse on Douglas Road, Owerri, while celebrating Nigeria’s 56th independence Anniversary.

The pictures gained audience on the social media because it was to protest the dirty lifestyle of people of the state and government negligence.

The Chief Press Secretary to the government Mr. Samuel Onwuemeodo reacted, saying:  “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”.

 However,  PDP Member Owerri Federal Constituency, Hon. Ezenwa Onyewuchi, along with the Imo State PDP Exco  have come to the aid of the people by clearing the refuse heap.

Rev. Canon Uche Chinamerem has said “I went to celebrate in front of the refuse dump because what is there is shameful. Let’s accept that the government refused to clear the refuse, how can a normal human being go to the market every day, trade within that dirty environment and think nothing about the refuse? Don’t we have market women association, community groups or vigilantes in the area? Obviously, they are waiting for the government to clear the refuse. In Igbo parlance, we say a rejected man does not reject himself. Why have we decided to reject ourselves? Why can’t we clear the refuse and tell the government that if it cannot be responsible, we are responsible citizens? So, this is not just about spiting the government, but telling our people to wake up and do the right thing when the government has failed.”