42 held over sanitation offences, as ODSWMA GM Adeyemo kicks against uncleanliness
At least 42 people were held today, Saturday, during the June edition of the monthly environmental sanitation excise in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The poeple were picked up by officials of Ondo State Waste Management Authority (ODSWMA), at various locations within Akure metropolis over various offences ranging from illegal dumping of refuse, dirty environment and roaming the streets while the exercise was going on.
The ODSWMA General Manager, Rev. (Mrs) Ayo Adeyemo who disclosed this shortly after monitoring this month’s edition of the exercise, added that the offenders were charged to court for appropriate punishment.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Sunday Akinwalere, also led other officials of the ministry to monitor the June edition of the monthly environmental sanitation excise across the state capital.
Rev Adeyemo said their arrest and subsequent arraignment in court would serve as deterrent to others, emphasising that the poeple must learn to show the right attitude towards their environment at all times.
She also encouraged all residents including owners of shopping malls across the state to make environmental sanitation a daily affair to ensure healthy living.
According to her, a dirty environment will cause epidemic and other health related diseases, noting that government will not allow that to happen in the Sunshine State.
She insisted that there will be no room for uncleanliness in whatever form.
The GM appealed to the people of the state to always support government and key into the sanitation excise for their own benefit and that of the society at large.
“Today environmental sanitation excise is fair, though there some residents who are still recalcitrant and refused to participate in the exercise. Like in Ilesha Motor Park, some food vendors were cooking, doing buying and selling in the park, and in few other places.
“But generally, the compliance level is fair. We only need to keep encouraging our poeple to ensure they take the issue of cleanliness serious. They should not wait until they are forced to clean their environment. Environmental sanitation should be a daily affair to ensure healthy living”, she said.
