BY FAVOUR PERCY-IDUBOR
The Edo State Government has urged residents in the State to imbibe good personal and environmental hygiene to have a clean state.
The General Manager of Edo Waste Management Board, Mrs Rita Idehai, said this at an event to commemorate the 2024 National Environmental Sanitation Day.
The National Environmental Sanitation Day is held every June 28 to drive awareness of the need to imbibe personal and environmental hygiene among Nigerians.
Idehai said the day is dedicated to creating awareness among residents in Edo State, noting, “It is also meant to promote the culture of effective sanitation and hygiene practices among citizens to curtail the scourge of preventable communicable diseases such as Malaria, Cholera, Lassa Fever, and Yellow Fever among others.
“As humans generate waste every day, there is a need to take care of the environment. Bag your waste properly, and engage with the waste managers that are licensed by the State Waste Management Board. Do not dump waste on the median. Do not put waste in drainages.
According to her, “There is a lot that is happening. We need everybody in the State, to be part of the reform, to be a part of the project ‘Clean up Edo’ to ensure that Edo is not only clean, it’s also green and is the cleanest state in Nigeria.
“We call on everybody to be a part of what we are doing to ensure that their immediate environment is clean, to ensure that nobody in their vicinity also dumps wastes that are not supposed to be dropped and to pack their wastes properly and to engage their waste managers, as they say, health is wealth.’’
On strengthening the efforts of the waste management enforcement team, she said, “We are already rejigging the waste enforcement and compliance work. If you put waste on the median and they see you, they will arrest you.”
On his part, the head of commercial services in the Edo State Waste Management Board, Mr Akhigbe Martins, said: “Our environment is a reflection of who we are. Keeping our environment clean is a collective responsibility. Everyone needs to put their hands on deck to join the Board. Patronize our accredited waste managers. If there are specific complaints in your areas where your waste managers are not doing enough, we want you to reach out to us.
