The Ekiti State Government has warned residents of the state against reckless blockage of waterways and ditches that could unleash erosion and flooding during the coming rainy season.
The Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, in a statement by her Special Assistant on Media, Victor Ogunje, handed down the warning, in Ikere Ekiti, on Saturday, while monitoring the monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in the council.
Areas visited included: Odo Oja, Oke-Osun, Gbolagun, Atiba, Eleyo, Sabo Odo-Oja, Kajola, among others.
Underscoring the significance of the exercise, she maintained that improved environmental sanitation can bring exponential improvement to life expectancy and reduce morbidity and mortality rates.
Afuye, who was accompanied by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Habitat Adubiaro, and other top government functionaries, told the residents that improved life expectancy is a function of environmental cleanliness and personal hygiene.
Giving her observations about the level of compliance in the council, the number two citizen, frowned at indiscriminate dumping of refuse and sewages at Gbolagun area of NITEL in Uro Quarters, leading to the blockage of a canal in the axis.
She directed the Department of Environmental Services of Ikere West LCDA to hold a meeting with the landlords of the area, warning the residents to desist from such unwholesome acts that could trigger environmental degradation and unwarranted disease breakout.
Advising the environmental health officers to always visit the inner cities to enforce cleanliness, she added that opening of shops, drinking joints, market centres and eateries during the exercise, was a flagrant violation of the sanitation law.
Based on complaints of perennial erosion and flooding in some sections of the town, Afuye assured that the axis being ravaged would be channelized to safeguard the lives and property of Ikere residents.
“I want all of you to desilt all the blocked canals . It is wrong for people to dump refuse inside erosion canals, it was a common practice here in Ikere going by our observation, this must change, because this government won’t allow any act that can lead to a breakout of diseases in any part of Ekiti,” she said.
Also speaking, Adubiaro appealed to the residents to comply with all the directives given by the entourage to ensure cleanliness in the council.
“It is for your own good when your environment is clean, you won’t fall sick and the money you ought to spend on sickness will be spent on profitable ventures,” she said.
Being part of the measures to upscale compliance, the Chairman of the Ikere Local Government, Hon Egbejoda Adamolekun, appealed to the state government to constitute a mobile court to try offenders.
Adamolekun stated that it is the best way to bring a downward trend to the level of non-compliance being witnessed in the council.
The local government boss revealed that the council had pronounced the commencement of environmental sanitation exercise every Thursday, urging the residents to show understanding and embrace the exercise.
Those on her entourage were: Chairman of Ikere West Local Council Development Area, Hon. Rufus Olorunfemi; Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Youth Development, Mr. Bamidele Arowosola, and other top government functionaries.
