The Edo State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to making the state flood-free, clean, and green, and has urged residents to take active roles in preventing floods and erosion caused by high rains.
Engr. Jonathan Lawani, Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, who submitted the proposal, stated that active public participation in environmental regeneration is critical to preserving a clean and hygienic environment.
He said, “I want to appeal to the people of Edo State on the issue of waste management, cleanliness and erosion control. It must be a joint effort between the government and the citizenry. Whatever affects the state affects everybody that lives in it. People should take care of their immediate environment by clearing grasses and desilting drainages.”
Lawani urged residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of refuse, noting: “We have seen that some of our people now put their refuse in their vehicles and dump it by the expressway. This is not good for the state; it makes the city dirty and we have been doing everything possible to clean up.
“We have different waste managers that take care of properties at homes and offices, and are now working jointly with local governments to make sure people pay for the waste they generate. We also have sweepers’ waste evacuators that are specifically dedicated to our major roads where our sweepers are cleaning on a daily basis. We have another set dedicated to evacuating wastes in the markets.”
He stated that the Ministry is actively removing garbage from numerous unlawful dumpsites, particularly in the Oluku and Ogheghe villages, and that steps are being taken to permanently resolve the management concerns in these regions.
On flood control, he said preparations have been made to ensure that the effect is not as bad as have been projected by NiMET, noting, “We consciously carried out desilting of major drains across Benin City between December up to the month of February. We had to desilt these drains and other minor drains within Benin City.
“We have also constructed ponds in some locations. If we undertake major drain construction on those areas, it’s going to cost billions of naira. What we did was to quickly provide a means of solving that problem without spending too much resources.”