by Christiana Gokyo, Jos
Director-General of the Plateau State Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA), Samuel Dapiya, has emphasized the importance of citizen participation in the monthly sanitation project, highlighting the need for advocacy and disease prevention.
He said, the project aims to maintain sanitation without locking people at home, despite previous enforcement periods, from 7 to 10am.
Speaking to Journalist shortly after monitoring of the monthly sanitation within Jos North and South on Saturday, the DG explained that the agency aims to scale-up sanitation efforts to other communities that have not been visited in the past two years.
According to him, the consistency of sanitation enforcement has not been enforced for two months, which was suspended only in December and November due to tourism activities in the state.
Samuel Dapiya noted that, the agency’s commitment to daily sanitation is reiterated, emphasizing that “It is a lifestyle rather than a monthly task.”
He said the sanitation is expected to be a daily routine, stressing that, even the press men should do a daily house cleaning before coming to work.
He emphasized on the importance of addressing behavioral change and communities, in order to ensure long-term sanitation compliance.
Mr. Dapiya further explained that, the agency’s efforts include enforcing Executive Orders and building control, which are interconnected with sanitation, and expressed satisfaction with the progress made, from point ‘A’ to point ‘B’ over the past two years.
According to him, there is the need to involve more communities in sanitation efforts, aiming for broader implementation and enforcement.
While raising concerns about the lack of compliance due to inconsistent enforcement, the DG acknowledged the challenge but insists on the commitment to daily sanitation enforcement.
“The agency aims to make sanitation a daily habit to reduce the need for monthly enforcement effort,” he said, while reiterating the importance of consistent and daily sanitation practices.
“The importance of addressing specific issues, such as compliance and information dissemination, is important, and there is the need for total compliance in sanitation efforts and with a focus on future plans to improve sanitation practices and community involvement,” he noted.
Also speaking, Arch. Hart Bankat, General Manager of the Jos Metropolitan Development Board (JMDB), asserted that, “At this age and time, we shouldn’t have to enforce to tell people to keep the streets clean.
“It is not rocket science. We want the society to move forward. We want to contest with global wings, and then we want to now still be enforcing and chasing people to do the needful. It’s quite unfortunate,” he disclosed.
But, the GM expressed disappointment with the manner of some people coming out to say, they are not even aware that today is sanitation, adding, “One day in a month that was eliminated for you to clean, and you are not aware for you to even do that; if not for anything. It’s unfortunate.
“Just pretend and even stay at home. But it’s insultive, abusing it and coming back. And, you know, we take a whole lot of things for granted because we attach politics to it. So, everybody wants to attach the politics and sentiments,” he noted.
According to him, he wouldn’t be here forever. “I don’t deceive myself to tell myself that I’m in an office; that I’m a king, no tomorrow. The governor can remove me, and if he does that, I’ve moved.
“But has the story of Plateau changed? So, we need to be deliberate. We are celebrating 50. What are we celebrating? About 50? Where have we moved to when we are still holding sticks and chasing people with guns to enforce and clean the city?
“So, I think it’s a time for sober reflection; for us to think some of us were not even giving birth to and then we are heading there, scaring us. This is not the kind of society we want our children to grow in. This is not where we want our children to head to.
“So, we hope that as we approach the 50th celebration of the State, it will give us a sense of fulfillment to be able to, at least as a people, be deliberate in trying to change our stories,” he said.
According to Arch. Hart Bankat, “There is no solution to be preferred, like the federal government had one, given us a mantra. Change begins with you. It is for you to be deliberate about it.
“For us, we are passionate about this because we want to change the system. We have the pride to see our children grow here and become who they want to be; and we want them to be like any other person in the world the way it is.
“So, that is just the passion that drives us to do what we need to do. So, you cannot force anybody. You cannot bring any form of innovation. If people don’t agree, we will just do our part and we leave so that they continue. But people who want the change will have to begin with,” he stressed.
Our Correspondent reports that most people were not in compliance with the the Monthly Sanitation exercise. Motorists (private and commercial) were seen moving around (commercials with passengers), who stopped and pay fines; and some were charged to the Mobile Court, while petty traders were seen doing their businesses unmindful of the (sanitation) exercise.