By Ann Ngbea
The Benue State Environmental Sanitation Authority (BENSESA) Saturday impounded over 40 motorcycles operated commercially during the state monthly sanitation exercise for the month of March.
In a press briefing after the sanitation exercise at the BENSESA office, the General Manager, Mr Solomon Onah, who expressed satisfaction over the level of compliance shop owners and market places frowned at commercial motorcyclists (okada) who he said had deliberately refused to keep to the sanitation rules, thereby aiding movement of persons.
Onah who further lamented that most abattoirs even while sanitation was going on, were still carrying out their normal business said: “I have decided to meet with motorcycle union and meat sellers union soon to discuss with them to caution their personnel to adhere to sanitation rules. I will do so because I believe in dialogue as most especially, the okada riders, as you can see, most seizures today are motorcycles numbering over 40.”
“Sanitation is everybody’s business therefore, if all the various organisations assists us, we will achieve more success,” he added.
The GM explained that some of the heap of refuse seen within the town cannot be removed for now because some of their machines are finding it difficult to excavate it. He noted that the only equipment for such heavy work was broken down at the Ministry of Water Resources and Environment, saying that the Commissioner, Engr Dondo Ahire was still liasing with the state government on how to fix it.
He decried the none compliance of most North Bank residents to sanitation exercise noting that they were forced this time around to comply. According to him, their goods were impounded and were also to appear before the mobile court and pay heavily to retrieve their goods, if not, the goods will continue to remain under impound or they will go to prison for it.
Onah, while stating that the monthly sanitation is statewide called on all to note that sanitation in the state is a gradual process but a necessity as awareness is been created, the masses should also know the cost of staying in a dirty environment and the types of disease that come with it, high cost of treatment and in most cases death as in the case of ebola, coronavirus, cholera among others that can be avoided.
The sanitation exercise is carried out every last Saturday of every month within the state to carry out a general clean up of both private and public areas in the state.
