By Josephine Oguntoyinbo

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The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps, Brigadier General Shuaibu Ibrahim has declared that the Scheme will not relent in providing adequate information that will save the lives of the citizens and residents of this country.
The Director General declared this when he flagged of 2021 NYSC National Environmental Sanitation exercise at the Democracy Park, Akure.
Represented by the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs. Victoria Nnenna Ani, the Director General said that environmental sanitation has been recognised globally as one of the key requirements for prevention of diseases and their escalation to epidemic proportion.
Ibrahim said that efforts must be stepped up to enlighten the general public, especially the rural dwellers, on the health risks of poor hygiene with particular focus on the prevention of contamination of food, water and the entire environment’.
According to the NYSC boss, some of the ailments caused by poor hygiene include chronic diarrhoea, ringworm, dysentery, typhoid, polio, scabies trachoma, hepatitis A and malaria amongst others.
He said that efforts must be made to save many more lives by empowering people with adequate information on good grooming and environmental hygiene.
To achieve this year’s theme which is ‘Clean Environment/Good Hygiene: Panacea for Good Health and Long Life’, Ibrahim said that every member of the community will have to be mobilised for participation in the exercise which will feature sensitisation, disease surveillance and report of outbreaks.
The NYSC boss hinted that sensitisation efforts of the Scheme will focus on regular environmental sanitation on fortnight basis; clean food and water intake; proper disposal of human and animal waste; protection of food and water from contamination and community policing to enforce clean environment and proper waste disposal.
The NYSC helmsman thanked the State Government, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders for supporting the noble cause of the Scheme.
He also commended the indefatigable NYSC staff and patriotic corps members for demonstrating the zeal to contribute meaningfully towards ensuring a healthy and stable environment and for successfully implemented the programme.
The sanitisation exercise was carried out in major public places such as government offices, Local Government Secretariats, Palaces, Markets, Motor parks, gutters and drainages on major roads in all the eighteen (18) Local Governments that make up Sunshine State.