As part of its efforts to create a cleaner and safer environment, the Edo State Government started enforcing environmental regulations in the Benin metropolis.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Engr. Jonathan Lawani, led officials from the ministry, public health workers and waste management board officers to clamp down on the violators in major streets and markets within the Benin metropolis.
He said, “We are enforcing environmental laws within the state. About three weeks ago, we started operation clean Edo where we advised residents to also join the government in its effort to clean up the state.
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“The government has commenced clearing and cleaning up public places. We have cleared up overgrown grasses and swept and cleaned up different places, including Airport Road, Sapele Road, Oba Market Road and Siluko Road, among others. We have now said that people should now support us in this cleanup exercise and by doing so, we have advised our health officers to do their jobs by serving abatement notices and other notices to residents to ensure that they clean up their premises and evacuate their wastes properly.
“At the Aduwawa Market, despite the ‘No Refuse Dump’ sign, they have continued to indiscriminately dump refuse here. Now, we have agreed to work with the vigilantes that are in this market to make sure that those that are doing this are arrested. We have given the vigilantes our numbers so they can reach us anytime they find anybody doing this so they can be arrested and prosecuted.”
At Upper Mission Extension, the commissioner commended some businesses and residents who kept to the requirements of the law regarding waste disposal while violators were arrested and made to face the law.
Story was adapted from Vanguard.
