By George George Idowu
Environmental Task Force in Nasarawa State has apprehended 69 individuals for breaching sanitation regulations on Saturday during their monthly sanitation inspection in Lafia, the state capital.
The announcement was made by the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Yakubu Kwanta, after the monthly sanitation inspection in Lafia, the state capital.
He said most of the violators, primarily motorists and motorcyclists, will face prosecution in accordance with the state’s sanitation legislation.
The commissioner who was represented by Mohammed Rocha, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry stressed the importance of prioritizing sanitation among residents to uphold cleanliness standards, noting an 80 percent compliance rate during the exercise.
Kwanta extended gratitude to traditional leaders, particularly Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage, for their involvement in the monthly sanitation initiative.
He also lauded the Killema Community for their exceptional dedication to cleanliness, urging other communities to follow suit.
Acknowledging the support of Governor Abdullahi Sule in facilitating logistics for the sanitation efforts, Kwanta expressed appreciation for the commitment of the task force and volunteers, which contributed significantly to the operation’s success.
He said: “As you aware every last Saturday of the month is set aside for sanitation. Before I go further, I want to appreciate Gov. Abdullahi Sule for always providing logistics as at when due for the smooth sanitation”.
“I want to also thank the task force and the volunteers for their continuous supports that helped us to record a huge success in this exercise.”
Chief Prosecutor Abubakar Mohammed from the state Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources disclosed that the 69 offenders were apprehended across the 13 local government areas.
He highlighted that the ministry had prosecuted approximately 24 individuals for sanitation violations, leading to jail terms in accordance with the legislation since the reintroduction of sanitation measures in the state.