Spread the love
By Stephen Adeleye.
The Kogi Government has urged the people of the state to develop the attitude of maintaining a clean and sanitised environment, to prevent flooding and outbreak diseases.
The State Commissioner of Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Sanusi Yahaya, gave the advice while speaking with newsmen shortly after the monthly environmental sanitation exercise on Saturday in Lokoja.
Yahaya, who monitored the exercise, urged residents to inculcate a clean habit and cooperate with the government by actively participating in the exercise.
“Today’s exercise has been quite revealing, but the attitude of our people towards this exercise is still a challenge.
“We have engaged various stakeholders like the Road Transport Union, Okada and commercial tricyclists and market people to let them know the importance of observing this exercise and participating in it.
“It seems people have not been able to key into it, and that’s why we are seeing lots of movement during this exercise which we have tried to make arrest for prosecution by Mobile Court.
“By and large, we can say that the exercise is fair, and we hope to have improvement continuously and getting first hand information on the field and improving on lapses in the next exercise,” he said.
The commissioner commended Gov. Yahaya Bello for putting lots of fund in the in the cleanliness of the environment, adding that people should appreciate the gesture by cleaning their immediate environment.
He warned residents against dumping of refuse in the drains and canals to avoid flooding.
He added that the ministry has been sensitising the residents across the nine flood prone local government areas of Kogi.
Mrs Comfort Alege, the Special Adviser to the governor on Sanitation and Emergency Management, said the exercise was a good success.
“The movement of people today was reduced compared to the past exercises we have had.
“It means people are getting use to it. It also means a lot of people have chosen to stay in their various homes to tidy up and clean their environment.”
Mr Haruna Nda-Mohammed, Chairman, Kogi Sanitation and Waste Management Board, thanked the governor, the commissioner and other stakeholders for their contribution to the success of the exercise.
Nda-Mohammed appealed to the people to pay due attention to sanitation, adding that the government could not do it alone.
(NAN)
Spread the love
