By Uche Chukwuma
DELTA State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Jamani Ejiro has enjoined Deltans and residents in the state to take ownership of their environment and ensure that their environment is always clean to avoid contact with diseases.
The commissioner, represented by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. (Mrs) Minnie Oseji stated this during the monitoring of sanitation exercise recently at Obiaruku in Ukwuani Local Government Area, she also urged for proper waste disposal in the state.
The permanent secretary with other officials from the ministry joined their environment counterpart from the local government council to go round some residential and market areas like Amai road, Utagaba-Uno road junction to sensitise people and business owners on the need to come out and clean up their surroundings, just as fliers on the need for them to take ownership of their environment were distributed.
Oseji expressed dissatisfaction over the low level of compliance during the exercise and tasked the Head, Department of Environment in the council, Mrs. Rose Eyefia, to take proactive measures to sensitise the people and to also enforce environmental laws for compliance by residents and business owners in the locality.
She urged local authorities in the state to support their environment department to ensure total adherence to environmental best practices in their locality.