Environmental Health Officers will soon embark on house to house visits to ensure cleaner homes and environment in the FCT.
Alhaji Ali Kaka, the Assistant Director, Environmental Health and Safety Department of the FCT, made this known when he visited the Sa’Peyi (traditional ruler) of Garki in Abuja on Saturday.
“They (sanitary inspectors) will not only inspect the environment but will enter people’s rooms to ensure that they keep their homes clean.
“We used to carry out monthly sanitation but the majority of the people don’t actively participate in the exercise.
“Most of them will be inside their houses without keeping their environment clean.
“We felt that the best way is to go back to the olden days when people used to keep their environment clean.
“That is why the environmental health officers or `wale wale’ in the local language will go out now to inspect each house.
“Defaulters will be fined; that’s why we are forewarning them by sensitising them on the need to keep their surroundings, gutters and houses clean.
“We want them to know that things have changed. That is why we are here to inform the traditional rulers. They will go with us to sensitise their people.”
Kaka told the chief that the aim of the visit was to sensitise the people and for the community heads to be involved to ensure the success of the plan.
He said the department would continue to sensitise the public to enable everybody to key into the programme to restore cleanliness to the territory.
Mr Jacob Garki, the District Head of Garki, who represented the Sa’peyi, said that since monthly sanitation was not enough, there was the need to make people understand that health is wealth.
Garki said the idea was laudable and should be supported by all to ensure that the environment was made clean.
“We will appoint people within the next one or two weeks to go round the community. This group will consist of every tribe; every ethnic group will be involved.
“Anyone who turns deaf ears to the directive should not blame the environmental authority.”
?Garki said he had requested for disposable bags and waste bins to given to the community.
The home-to-home visits would override the monthly sanitation observed every last Saturday of the month in Abuja.
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