Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has approved a two-hour weekly environmental sanitation exercise across the state, beginning on Thursday.
The approval was contained in a statement by the Head of Service and Chairman of the newly constituted Osun State Environmental Sanitation Task Force, Samuel Aina.
In the statement obtained in Osogbo on Thursday, Aina said offices, market operators, shop owners, artisans, malls, stores and other business operators were required to be physically present during the exercise.
He said law enforcement agents would be deployed to support the task force but clarified that they would not arrest residents, as their role would be to enforce compliance.
The statement read, “Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has given immediate approval for the commencement of a two-hour weekly environmental sanitation exercise, beginning from this Thursday throughout the state.
“All offices, market operators, shop owners, artisans, malls, stores, business premises owners, among others, are, by this official directive, expected to be physically present during the scheduled time of the compulsory environmental sanitation.
“Law enforcement agents will be made available during the sanitation exercise to complement the efforts, but they are not to arrest anybody but to enforce compliance.”
Aina said the initiative was aimed at tackling indiscriminate refuse disposal and other violations of environmental regulations to prevent disease outbreaks and maintain cleanliness across the state.
He urged residents to cooperate with the authorities during the exercise, which will hold between 8 am and 10 am.
PUNCH Online had earlier reported that the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, directed the Ministry of Environment to urgently clear refuse heaps along major roads across the state.
The ministry was also directed to clear blocked drainages and waterways as the Speaker called for a comprehensive approach to sanitation by relevant government agencies.