The Kogi State Government on Wednesday expressed excitement over the feedback from communities, groups and organisations on its campaign on sanitation and waste management across the state.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Rosemary Osikoya, spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja.
Osikoya said she was excited that people were gradually appreciating government’s efforts on clean environment.
She said that the government had been receiving commendations from individuals, faith-based organisations, communities, NGOs and other stakeholders.
The commissioner said this showed that people were actually cooperating with the government, especially on sanitation matter.
“The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Province 3 has written to us and pledged to moblise over 100 members as volunteers to participate in the June sanitation.
“The Federal University, Lokoja, volunteered over 50 students; women groups in Otokiti and Zango axis, and youths from Zariagi community, have also pledged their participation in the community service.
“Our campaign on community participation and ownership is yielding results, which is actually what we are championing and clamouring for.
“We are also excited that another pastor was at the ministry to attend the June 2017 environmental sanitation planning meeting held on Friday.
“It shows that our visit to the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) is yielding a lot of results.
“We are very excited that we are receiving this gesture from various groups and communities,” Osikoya said.
She said that the state government would learn from the past to strategise on how to do things better.
“We shall be focusing on our key expectation of 15 per cent annual reduction in indiscriminate refuse dumps across the state, in order to have a safe, convenient, conducive and healthy environment for all,” Osikoya said.
The commissioner said that the June monthly sanitation would make it the 14th time after the flag off by the state governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, on May 25, 2016.
She said that the 2017 budgetary provision for streets clearing had yielded a remarkable result and had enabled the ministry to clear and evacuate massive heaps of indiscriminate dumpsites across the state.
The commissioner appealed to people to come out and participate actively in the next monthly sanitation scheduled for Saturday.
(NAN)