By Kemi Olatunde

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Ondo State Government last Saturday went tough on residents who flouted the monthly environmental sanitation exercise, just as it reiterated its commitment towards prosecuting violators.

Some of those who fell victims included some police officers alongside their relatives, who were in the state for an occasion  from Lagos State.

Another set of Police officers who were on their way to Abuja were also grounded till the end of the exercise.

A luxurious bus with a full load of commuters, eight trailers, seven trucks and 18 cars were forced to observe the exercise at Old Garage where the team mounted an emergency road block.

At the spot, no fewer than 15 people were picked along the pedestrian walk way and taken to the court for prosecution.

Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Sunday Akinwalire while leading a team to  monitor the exercise said the era of disobeying environmental laws in the state was over, noting that the time has come for residents to obey the laws.

He said that it is important that those who flouted the law irrespective of their status are prosecuted to serve as scapegoats to others.

He commended Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu for his efforts in ensuring not just a cleaner and healthy state but also a flood free state, stating that he provided the need resources to prevent flooding across the 18 Local Government areas of the state.

While commending stakeholders in the sector for their commitment, he revealed that there will soon be general re-engineering of waste management in the state, calling on all waste collectors to be alive to their responsibilities.

He appealed to residents to ensure a better Ondo State in the area of sanitation.

Chairman, Committee on Waste Management, Mr. Kehinde Badejo described the exercise as impressive, noting that with the new dimension the exercise has taken, illegal dumping of refuse will soon be eradicated in the state.