Sanitation: Ekiti impounds vehicles, motorcycles

Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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Scores of vehicles and motorcycles at the weekend were impounded by the Deputy Governor of Ekiti state, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi, during the February edition of the monthly sanitation exercise held across the state.

The Deputy Governor, also stopped a football match that was going on while monitoring the exercise.

The drama occurred when the deputy governor was on his way to communities in Gbonyin Local Government area to monitor compliance with the environmental sanitation. He alighted from his vehicle and stopped some youths who were playing football at a secondary school describing their action as a violation of environmental sanitation law.

Egbeyemi counselled the youths to always stay in their houses and clean their surroundings during sanitation hours after which they are free to come out .

He later released their ball earlier seized and pardoned two of the youths arrested on the spot by ordering their release, warning them not to violate the environmental sanitation law again.

Similarly, keys of the motorcycles and vehicles also seized from their owners were later released by environmental officials after they had been delayed during the sanitation hours.

Security men on the entourage of the Deputy Governor also forced the defaulters to pick refuse and clean the drains in the vicinity where they were arrested.

Speaking with reporters later in the day at Ode Ekiti, headquarters of Gbonyin Local Government, Egbeyemi commended the people of the area for their mass participation in the exercise.

He, however, expressed dismay that many houses in the town lack toilet facilities urging the landlords to provide same to prevent the spread of diseases to avoid being prosecuted in the future.

Describing lack of toilet facilities, roaming and loitering about, carrying out commercial activities during sanitation hours as serious offences, Egbeyemi said such offences are punishable under the sanitation law.

He said the state government decided not to run the environmental sanitation mobile for February edition of the exercise promising that the court would be back next month to try sanitation offenders.