By Mercy Onyenweli
The Hon. Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Arch. Joshua Omokhodion has appealed to Edo People to desist from indiscriminate throwing of dirty into drainages and on the roads to avoid or risk being arrested and prosecuted.
Hon. Omokhodion made this appeal while playing host to members of Association of Livestock Managers and Food Products Dealers of Nigeria Special Monitoring Unit led by the National Secretary, Comrade Stephen Edjeba and State Executive Pastor Edwin Edonwonyi
He commended the Association for their concern on the wellbeing of Edo People and their readiness to join force with the state government to reversed the culture of cleanliness which according to him has been adulterated by individuals who migrated from neighboring states.
“However, this must not be a one-offin, our people must be educated because until you are able to drive your message, they might not understand what you are saying. Even when they hear it, so you must embark on vigorous enlightenment.
This collaboration must continue, they must be a continuous engagement with our office so we can share ideas on how to achieve this feat”.
Emphasizing on the clean culture of Edo People ,he noted that in the seventies and eighties, families ensure that they clean their environment and their homes, unlike what prevails now where people hardly clean their environment. He stressed that the clean culture of Edo People must be reversed and to achieve it, all hands must be on deck.
Hon. Omokhodion assured the leadership of the association of Government support as he noted that the issue of food adulteration, food poisoning and dirty environment borders on the health of everybody.
“On our part, we are going to support your association because what you are actually doing is for all and sundry, whether you like it or not, we all go to the same market to procure things and if in the instance that we are not safe by the things we consume, there is an issue, if there is a break out of epidemic, everyone will be affected, so on that note, we are going to support your organization to bring the desired culture of cleanliness and foods free from adulteration”.
Speaking also, the National Secretary of the Association, Hon. Stephen Edjeba expressed gratitude to the State government for assuring their collaboration in the fight against food poisoning, food adulteration and environmental sanitation.
Hon Edjeba said the Association held two days sensitization program in major markets in Benin City against anti food poisoning and food adulteration and the need to clean the environment where Agricultural products and livestock are sold in the Markets.
He noted that with the way traders welcome members of the association and promised to revealed the places where food adulterators and their cronies carry out their nefarious activities indicated rays of hope that Edo People will again began to consume healthy foods and livestock
“With our experience, we will be able to sanitize the system again. All we are requesting for is the backing of the state government”.
“We have elected our State Chairmen and also LGA Chairmen and they have been given directive that any household in their communities that refuse to clean their drainages will face sanctions and probably prosecution. Our Special Monitoring team will go out and pick them out and we will hand them over to the government”.
Also speaking is the State Chairman of the Association, Pastor Edwin Edowinyi,said that all the Executive and members of the Association are fully prepared to commence the anti fight against food adulteration in the State.
Present at the visit were State Executive members of theAssociation..