The Acting General Manager of the Benue State Environmental Sanitation Authority (BENSESA), Chief Hon. Anta Igbaato, has pledged to sustain sanitation exercises and activities in the state, despite resistance from some quarters. He made this pledge on Saturday at the BENSESA premises in Makurdi, shortly after monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise.
He stated that he would not be intimidated by the actions of some people who feel the sanitation exercise will not be implemented in the state. He explained that sanitation is not supposed to be carried out only at the end of every month but is a daily affair.
“Each one of us must make sure to clean and make the environment neat. Sanitation is not supposed to be held only at the end of the month; it is supposed to be a daily affair. We are not expected to be cleaning our environment only once a month,” he said.
He appealed to Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, who gave BENSESA its mandate, to consider amending some laws so that sanitation can be done on a weekly basis. Hon. Igbaato further called on every Benue resident, whether a church leader, member, banker, farmer, civil servant, or politician, to always tidy up their environment, adding that many sanitation jingles were already being aired on radio and television stations to achieve wider sensitization coverage.
The monthly sanitation exercise was disrupted at the Wadata vegetable market, where residents (youths) violently resisted BENSESA’s Task Force from confiscating their goods by attacking the GM’s car and other members of the Task Force with stones and other metals.
A total of 62 motorcycles and two vehicles were impounded, 10 persons were arrested for carrying out business activities during the sanitation period, and 50 persons were convicted for violating sanitation laws and were charged by the Mobile Court, while others were discharged on the basis of being essential service providers.
Areas monitored during the exercise included High Level, along Tito Gate, Wurukum, High Level Roundabout, Awe Street, behind Benue State Library, Modern Market, Wadata vegetable market, Timber Shade, and Yogbo Road North Bank, among others.
