Edo State Govt Inaugurate Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation

By Lucky Isibor

The Edo State Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Arc Joshua Omokhodion has charged members of the newly constituted Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation to ensure the enforcement of all extant rules and regulations on environmental sanitation and sustainability, ensure that refuse generated by traders in their shops and trading points are not littered about, but bagged in polyethylene bags and deposited at designated points for evacuation by waste managers.

The Commissioner gave the charge at the inauguration of the newly constituted Taskforce on Environmental Sanitation comprising wholly of members of the various traders and artisans unions and associations on Lagos Street and its environs.

The newly sworn-in Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Arc Joshua Omokhodion after extensive engagements with Lagos Street traders and residents and other critical stakeholders in the sustenance of the environment, set up an Environmental Sanitation Taskforce made up of members of the various traders and artisans unions to enforce the relevant rules and regulations of keeping the environment clean for healthy living.

During his engagements with the traders and artisans, it was resolved that between the hours of 6am and 9am every Monday, all shops shall be closed for a weekly environmental sanitation exercise and that the taskforce shall enforce it with a charge to close shops of defaulters until the owners comply.

Inaugurating the taskforce Thursday, 27 July, the Commissioner disclosed that the Edo State Tipper Drivers Association has committed to avail the taskforce tippers for the evacuation of refuse generated during the Monday weekly environmental sanitation exercise.

The Commissioner pointed out that the exercise is a pilot scheme which is being implemented at the Lagos Street axis and environs of the Benin metropolis, adding that the scheme will be replicated in other markets in Benin City in the next few weeks and will cascade down to all the Local Government Areas of the state.

According to the Commissioner, "Governor Godwin Obaseki intends to bequeath a state conducive for living and doing business, that will attract investments and investors.

"For prosperity to thrive, there is the need to take control of our environment because the first encounter of visitors to Edo State is our environment".

While thanking the traders and artisans for collaborating with Edo State government to keep the state clean, Omokhodion reiterated the desire of Governor Obaseki to ensure they live a healthy life and enjoy the profit from their business in good health.

"We thank you and commend you because for the first time in the history of Edo State, the people are generating ideas on how they want the system to be running.

"The whole essence of this is for your well being, so that you can live a healthy life where ever you're doing your business.

"This taskforce is the pilot scheme which will be replicated in other parts of Benin City and the entire state".

In his response, Comrade Ikpemwosa Egharevba, an executive member of the Oredo chapter of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), who represented the Edo State chairman of the union, Chief Odion Olaye, assured of the support of members of NURTW in the new initiate adding that their members will comply.

Also speaking, secretary of Edo State Market Women Association, Maureen Okojie, assured of the support of market women. In her words: "We the market women have been involved in environmental sanitation by cleaning the markets. We are going to participate in the new initiative and with our leader; Mrs Blackie Ogiamien we will ensure all the market women comply".

On his part, chairman of the Coalition of Traders and Artisans, Edo State chapter, Mr Collins Ohizu, assued that all members of the coalition is ready to cooperate and comply with the Monday weekly environmental sanitation exercise.

According to him, "This is the first time we the traders have been called upon to enforce sanitation rules for our members. That we the traders now constitute the enforcement team makes this initiative special and laudable".

Present at the inauguration were leaders and members of the various traders and artisans unions, leaders of Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba and other ethnic groups and officials of the ministry.

The Monday weekly environmental sanitation exercise will kick start next Monday, 31 July.