… gathers residents’ data on challenges
By Edeniyere Abraham Osose
Sanitation is an indispensable aspect of the society that every government relentlessly tackles with every sense of responsibility.
This is because poor sanitation practices pollute the environment which could exert a negative toll on human, animal and plants’ health, productivity and longevity, hence the increasing global call for the practice of acceptable sanitation standards in every environment habited by human beings.
The over two million people and their myriad of activities in Benin City, Edo State, for instance, generate waste which no doubt hurt the environment, hence the need for efficient waste management practices.
Therefore, regular environmental sanitation exercise has become a veritable tool for leading the war against the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in some parts of the city.
It is against this backdrop that the Edo State Government through the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, the Edo State Waste Management Board and private waste managers in different zones of the State have intensified the collection and evacuation of waste to government accredited dump sites.
The partnership is one amongst several laudable initiatives and policies that the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration has put in place to make the State one of the cleanest in the country.
To ascertain the various means of waste management and associated challenges in the city, a fact-finding team has been distributing questionnaires containing various issues bothering on waste management to some residents.
The sanitation exercise was coordinated by the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Engr. Jonathan Lawani, and the General Manager of the Edo State Waste Management Board, Mr. Charles Osadebamen Imariagbe with other teams drawn from the Compliance Department, Environmental Health Officers, Evacuation Unit, Zonal Managers, the Police and other relevant stakeholders.
Speaking to journalists during the clean-up and inspection exercise, Engr. Lawani reassured the public of the government’s commitment towards making the State one of the best places to live and do business.
He said there would be monitoring of activities in different parts of the State every Saturday to ascertain the level of compliance on the part of residents, officials of local government councils, zonal waste managers and others stakeholders in the business of waste disposal and management, as well as the clearing of overgrown grasses, sweeping of roads and other environmental clean-up activities.
On restriction of movement during the exercise, the Commissioner said there shall be no restriction of movement or grounding of socioeconomic activities, but stressed that residents should keep their surroundings clean as the enforcement team will not relent in prosecuting those who violate the sanitation laws.
In the same vein, Mr. Imariagbe laid emphasis on the need for shop and house owners to pay their waste bills up-to-date to enable the zonal waste managers to evacuate their waste on a regular basis so as not to have a backlog which could become difficult to clear.
He further enjoined the residents to report any waste manager who fails to do their job and called for cooperation with the Board to curb the menace of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the State.
It is pertinent to note that the State Government is not resting on its oars as it rolls out different measures through the relevant Ministry, Department and Agencies to bring to an end the practice of indiscriminate dumping of refuse.
To this end, Saturday environmental sanitation has been reinforced. The State Government is doing all it can to make the State a habitable place for its citizens. The people on the other hand must not only be perceived but seen doing their bit to curb the menace of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the environment which often attracts rodents into houses and diseases into the human environment.
