Edo State Govt Commences Weekly Environmental Sanitation

By Lucky Isibor

The Edo State Ministry of Environment and Sustainability, Monday, 31 July commenced the weekly environmental sanitation exercise billed for every Monday on the Lagos Street axis of the state capital.

Traders and residents loading their bagged wastes into trucks for disposal, as the Commissioner addresses them

Since his swearing-in as Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Arc Joshua Omokhodion has been engaging and interfacing with traders, artisans and residents of Lagos Street and its environs on how best to tackle environmental sanitation issues in the area which eventually led to the formation of an environmental sanitation taskforce made up of officials of the various traders and artisans unions in the area. 

The compulsory weekly environmental sanitation exercise which will be holding every Monday between 6am and 9am,  started at Lagos Street as a pilot scheme which will be replicated in other parts of the Benin metropolis and other parts of the state in the next few weeks.

As early as 6 am, traders, artisans and residents of Lagos Street and environs were seen cleaning their shops and residential houses. Tippers donated for the exercise by Tipper Drivers Association were on ground to evacuate the refuse generated during the exercise. Those who participated in the exercise were seen disposing off their bagged refuse in the waiting tipper trucks positioned at strategic points around Lagos Street and its environs.

The Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Arc Joshua Omokhodion led officials of the ministry and leaders of the various traders and artisans unions to monitor and supervise the sanitation exercise. 

The union leaders who were very enthusiastic about enforcing the environmental sanitation exercise, also ensured that all their members complied.

Speaking to Newscurve on the level of compliance after the exercise, the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Arc Joshua Omokhodion said the exercise was a huge success and attributed this to the people who have taken ownership of the new environmental sanitation initiative, noting that they've realised the essence of keeping their environment clean with support from the Edo State government.

According to the Commissioner, "The exercise was largely successful. It is successful because this is the first time the people themselves are coming out to drive the process of cleaning their environment.

"The people were the ones driving that success. Based on our interface and interactions over the period, they have realised that taking ownership of the environment is key to their well being and that if they don't take ownership they'll not get the desired result.

"We have always told them that they cannot do business in a filthy and dirty environment as they'll not enjoy the profit they make, no matter how much it is. They have seen the need for them to take responsibility for cleaning their business environment and make it healthy for them".

While appreciating the Tipper Drivers Association for donating ten trucks for the evacuation of refuse generated during the exercise, the Honourable Commissioner said, "You can see the cooperation the Tipper Drivers Association gave us, they brought about ten trucks for the evacuation of refuse, free of charge to ensure the success of the exercise. They have promised us that all their branches in the state will key into this new initiative when it is taken to their areas".

On sustainability of the new environmental sanitation initiative, Hon. Omokhodion assured that since the exercise is not transactional as government did not expend money on it, the initiative being driven by the people themselves, will ensure its sustainability.

The Commissioner disclosed that the ministry did not spend any money on the exercise noting that it was part of the implementation of Governor Godwin Obaseki's charge to Commissioners to think outside the box in the implementation of government policies and programmes.

"It will be sustained because it is not transactional. Even if we were given five million Naira today, we could not have done what we did today. In the past memos would have been written for approvals to carry out the exercise, but we decided to take it out to the people.

"You can see that the system is community driven, it is not going to be driven by government, it will be driven by the people. It is only when this exercise is part of the people, its part of their culture that it can be sustainable.

"This is the way Governor Obaseki wants to go, he wants the people to drive whatever the government is doing. It is only when it becomes transactional that it cannot be sustained".

Also speaking, the chairman, board of trustees of Lagos Street Traders Union, Mr. Moses Iguodeyala, thanked Governor Godwin Obaseki for giving them the platform to enforce environmental sanitation regulations where they do their business, pointing out that the exercise was successful adding that the union will in its own way sanction the few defaulters to serve as deterrent to others.

"You can see for yourself the level of compliance. Everybody complied. I thank Governor Godwin Obaseki for making it possible for us to enforce environmental sanitation regulations here. We'll sanction those who refused to comply".

Also speaking, the vice- president of Lagos Street Traders Union, Chika Igbemere said he rates the level of compliance very high noting that the little non compliance was because it's the first time, assuring that there will be full compliance during the next exercise.