Thirty-three persons were today prosecuted at a magistrate court sitting in Ado Ekiti for not complying with the monthly Environmental Sanitation laws.
This was also accompanied by seizure of perishable goods like plantains, oranges, yams and other food stuff worth thousands of naira at Okesa and Bisi markets
The chief magistrate, Mrs Olubunmi Bodunde said the culprits were guilty of various offenses levied against them and therefore sentenced them to three months imprisonment with an option of five thousand naira fine.
While monitoring the exercise, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Chief Tosin Aluko had frowned at the attitude of residents and market women who deliberately flouted the rules of the sanitation
She recalled that the ministry of Environment had two weeks ago invited the traders at okesa and Bisi markets all in Ado Ekiti to a meeting with a warning that display of goods would not be allowed during monthly sanitation exercise usually observed every last Saturdays.
“We have been sensitizing people through radio jingles to desist from contravening Environmental laws, getting to the market after the warning, we are shocked because we met more than five thousand people who came from different Local governments to display their goods” she explained.
The Commissioner pleaded with all stakeholders in the state to support the effort at nipping in the bud, poor attitude of people to sanitation exercise.
Contributing, the Director, Environmental Health and Sanitation, Mr Tunde Balogun noted that tasks force in charge of the monthly exercise would not relent at arresting and prosecuting any culprit.
He said people should be conscious of keeping their environment clean by desilting their drains as well as doing other necessary things that are needful.
“You don’t need to wait until law enforcement agents push you around before you comply with the norms, environment is for everybody and whatever you put into it is what you get” Balogun added.
