The Nasarawa State Government has directed residents of flood-prone communities to relocate to higher grounds to avoid any loss of lives if a flood happens.
Princess Margaret Elayo, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources stated this on Saturday in Lafia while addressing journalists after the May sanitation exercise.
The commissioner said that the steps became imperative because of the prediction by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) as well as the bad experiences of the past where lives and property were lost to flooding.
She further said that some states have started experiencing flooding, and that is a further call for action to save lives.
“We are partnering with Chairmen of Local Government Areas (LGAs) and traditional rulers to show those affected by this relocation directive where they should go now for safety.
“They should pick up their valuables and leave their houses for now so that when flooding eventually happens, no lives will be lost,” she added.
Princess Elato further called on members of the public to desist from duping refuge in drains and not build structures on waterways to avert flooding.
She promised to strengthen the awareness campaign strategics toward enlightening the public on the importance of clearing waterways to prevent flooding.
“We have engaged the traditional and religious leaders, communities leaders, and we are sponsoring sensitization programs in the mass media to enlighten the public on dangers of flooding and steps to avert it,” she added.
The commissioner further promised to ensure that the recycling plant in the Akurba community of Lafia is operational to ensure that refugees are not dumped on the streets.
She described unacceptable situations where large refuges are dumped on the streets and advised those in the habit to desist or be sanctioned when caught.
On the May sanitation exercise, the commissioner expressed dissatisfaction with the level of compliance by the residents of the state and appealed for more cooperation.
She said that a lot of commercial motorcycles and tricycles were going about during the sanitation exercise and threatened to be hard on them subsequently.
The commissioner, who is presiding over the first sanitation exercise, encouraged residents to embed the habit of cleaning their environments daily.
She called on members of the public to always keep their environments clean to guard against the possible outbreaks of all diseases.
“If the environment is kept clean, it will guard against a possible outbreak of any disease, thereby ensuring improved healthy living of the people,’’ he added.
The commissioner, therefore, promised that the ministry under her would make the state one of the cleanest in the country, in line with the mandate of the ministry.
Meanwhile, Abubakar Mohammed, Chief Prosecutor Officer of the ministry said that 168 persons were arrested across the state for violating sanitation laws.
The Chief Prosecutor said that the offenders were arrested for transacting their private businesses while the sanitation exercise was in progress.
He said that the defaulters were prosecuted by various mobile courts because their actions violated the provisions of section 9 (2) of the State Environmental Sanitation Law. (www.krestnews.com).