The Ekiti State government has called on residents to consistently adhere to environmental laws to promote a clean and healthy living environment.
Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Erelu Tosin Aluko-Ajisafe, was represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary, Mr. Tunde Balogun, during the October environmental sanitation exercise in Ado-Ekiti.
Erelu Aluko-Ajisafe expressed disappointment over the non-compliance by some residents, despite extensive sensitization campaigns, including door-to-door outreach to residents of Ekiti State. She stressed that maintaining a clean environment is vital not only for personal health but also for the well-being of the community.
“Environmental hygiene is essential, and we must all take responsibility to keep our surroundings clean,” she remarked.
The Director General of Ekiti Waste Management Authority, Mr. Olasunkanmi Onipede, along with the chairman of Ado West Local Government, Hon. Bolu Aladesanmi, monitored the sanitation activities in Ado-Ekiti, urging residents to embrace cleanliness as a way to maintain public health and prevent environmental hazards.
During the exercise, about one hundred residents were brought before the magistrate court in Ado-Ekiti for violating movement restrictions put in place to facilitate the monthly cleanup. Most of those arrested were traders at Okesha Market who defied environmental and sanitation laws to display their goods. This measure, the government explained, was critical to ensuring effective waste management and sanitation efforts across the city.
The Ekiti State government affirmed its commitment to enforcing sanitation laws and warned that violators would face legal consequences.
Officials emphasized that cooperation from the public is essential to building a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable environment for all.