The FCT Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello has vowed that environmental sanitation campaign across the entire Federal Capital Territory particularly in the Area Councils and rural areas would be sustained.
The Minister made this commitment while flagging – off the Household and Community Sanitation exercise in Gwagwalada, the headquarters of the Gwagwalada Area Council of the FCT on Saturday.
At the occasion, the Minister also distributed 100 Ro-Ro refuse bins to all Ward heads in the Gwagwalada Area Council with a directive to the Council Chairman to ensure prompt collection and emptying of refuse bins at all times.
The Minister further assured that the cleanest Area Council would be given a befitting prize in order to encourage the sustainability of the laudable exercise.
According to him, “the FCT Administration has already put mechanism in place to reward the cleanest Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory with a befitting prize”.
Bello emphasized that the culture of a clean environment being spearheaded by household and community leaders must be brought back to our society; stressing that the people must be involved in order to get it right.
He urged the people of Gwagwalada not to wait for someone to come and teach them how to clean their environment; adding that the behavior must be instilled and sustained.
Bello reiterated that the FCT Administration has considered the policy of reward and punishment as it concerns environmental sanitation to encourage the residents to proactively clean their immediate environment.”
The Minister stated that the issues of improved personal hygiene and removal of environmental nuisances in the Area Councils and Satellite Towns in the Federal Capital Territory, is on the front burner of the current FCT Administration.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Amina Mohammed who was represented at the occasion by a Director in the Ministry, Engr. Okunnu Kehinde stated that sanitation is vital for human health as healthy people are more productive at work place.
The Environment Minister noted that a clean environment is the collective responsibility for all, to have a healthy living.
She emphasized that poor sanitation has negative effects on the environment, and therefore called for support to the government by participating actively in the exercise.
The FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr. Babatope Ajakaiye, Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Engineer Adamu Ismaila, some Chairmen of the six Area Councils of the FCT, several Directors of the FCT Administration, the Aguma of Gwagwalada and the Agora of Zuba also attended the flag-off ceremony.