Osun Govt. Reinvigorates ‘Keep Environment Clean’ Campaign, Hits Market Places

…as SSA on Sanitation, Directors, Join market women in cleaning excercise

Osun State government has stepped up efforts in making the environment clean for healthy living.

The Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the State governor on Sanitation, Pelumi Ojo on Thursday led a sensitization campaign ‘Operation Keep Osun Clean’ to the heart of Osogbo, in an efforts to clean the environment.

The campaign which commenced from the palace of Ataoja of Osogbo led the team to Oja-Oba market through Ibokun road to Obate stream during which people troopped out to dump their waste in the refuse truck provided for the purpose.

At the Ibokun motor park located at Ibokun road junction, sanitation officers were joined by the people of the area to sweep refuse and clean the environment.

Market women also took the advantage to take part in the sanitation as well as pack waste gathered together and put in the refuse truck.

In an interview with newsmen, the Senior Special assistant to the governor emphasied that the sensitization campaign was to let the people know adverse effect of keeping the environment dirty.

Ojo who also joined in cleaning the places visited said the team was able to garner from them what there challenges were, adding that government was ready to give them necessary supports in making the environment clean.

He advised the people on how to take advantage of waste they generate and turn them to wealth.

“From my observation, people need to be aware of the hazardous impact of dirty environment. We have been able to earnest the challenges that they have in keeping the environment clean.

“The government wants to build the culture of cleanliness in the people, which is the most important thing. That’s exactly what are doing right now.

“My advice is that you have to be aware of your environment. The things we considered as waste are no longer waste anymore. There are so many initiatives, people are now doing amazing things, even within this our state that so many people do not know about, we have waste to wealth program.

“I will advise the people instead of keeping the environment dirty, that thing that you are just throwing away, it can create wealth for you. Research on how to do it, the government is ready to support, he said.

Also speaking, the Director of Environmental Health and Sanitation, Osun State Ministry of Environment and Sanitation, Wale Akala noted that the campaign was in response to the complaint received that Osogbo is dirty.

Akala said “It has been in the plan of government to make Osogbo cleanest city in Nigeria. That’s why we swung into action through the SSA with this laudable idea and that’s why we are on the street today to clean this environment and to do sensitisation, to make our people realise that the best thing is to have a very clean environment which next to godliness.

“Moving round, we discovered that the main road is not dirty but when we entered into the compound, we discovered that a lot of things were going on, the gutters were not okay, people were packing refuse beside their windows. We have sesitised them and we have told them that by the time we come back we may be forced to lock up many places.”