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The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Kogi, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, on Saturday urged residents of the state to safeguard the environment in order to protect the health of the people.
The commissioner made the charge when he spoke with newsmen after the monthly environmental sanitation in Lokoja,.
She said that people should take seriously, the responsibility of cleaning their environment for a heathier living.
“God has given us the responsibility to look after our environment; if we as a people can live by the tenets of our religious beliefs, then Kogi will become sustainably clean.
“We look forward to actual implementation of those belief system in the way people conduct themselves, manage their wastes and environment.
“We need the support of our religious leaders, traditional rulers and the media to sensitise the people on their environment.
‘We hope to see more community service by all groups at all levels in the state,” Osikoya said.
The commissioner commended the Ministry of Education and the SUBEB Chairman for mobilising school children to fully participate in this month’s cleaning exercise to mark the Children’s Day celebration.
“I feel excited because it shows that the cleaning exercise is sustainable if we can get the next generation to learn good values and attributes of what we want our society to be, then, we have succeeded.
“Though there are pockets of resistance in compliance but then it is understandable because human beings will always need lot of time to adapt to new things particularly cleaning culture,” she said.
The State Prosecutor, Mr Samuel Adewuyi, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN ) that two Mobile Courts were on ground to prosecute sanitation offenders with the option of N1000 to N2, 500 as fine.
According to him, 27 sanitation offenders were prosecuted, out of which 24 were convicted and 4 persons were warned and discharged.
Mrs Florence Joseph, the General Manager of Kogi State Sanitation and Waste Management Board (KSSWMB), told NAN that the level of compliance was better compared to the previous ones.
“Individuals are expected to clean their surroundings, cut the grasses and clear drains to ensure free-flowing of waters to prevent flooding and transmission of diseases.
“We are appealing to the people to make sanitation a continuous habit by keeping their environment clean and green always because, ‘Cleanliness is next to Godliness’.” she said.
Credits: Stephen Adeleye | NAN
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