From Abel Leonard Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government stated that it will soon begin operation and you can pick the polythene bags beside you to ensure a clean, healthy environment in the state.
Hon Yakubu Kwanta was the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources. He made the disclosure while briefing reporters on Saturday during the sanitation exercise. He said that the Nasarawa State Government had vowed to punish anyone found dumping polythene bag on the streets.
He said that the ministry would soon pick up the polythene from your side in order to ensure that the state was clean.
“We are already drafting a proposal to be sent to the governor once it is concluded for his approval.
“Once the document is completed and gets the approval of the governor, it would be forwarded to the house of assembly as an executive bill.
“Once we have legal backing and the ministry will embark on aggressive enforcement of the law to keep the state clean,” the commissioner added.
The Commissioner was pleased with the level at which the resident had followed the sanitation guidelines during the assessment.
He attributed January’s success to the support of the security agencies and awareness by media.
He stated that the ministry would increase the level of enforcement in future exercises to ensure greater compliance.
Meanwhile, a mobile court, handling environmental-related cases, has prosecuted 56 persons suspected to have violated environmental sanitation laws in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The Chief Environment Officer, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, the Prosecutor, stated to the court that the suspects were operating their private businesses while the sanitation exercise took place.
Mohammed claimed that the offences were in violation of Section 9(2) of State Environmental Sanitation Law.
He urged the court for sanction to them accordingly to deter others.
Abdullahi Lande, the Judge, convicted them and sentenced them to six-months imprisonment with the possibility of a fine of N5,000 to N50,000.