" Cleaning up the Country cannot be the sole responsibility of sweepers. Do citizens have no role in this? We have to change this mindset " Narenda Modi.
A clean environment includes clean air,water,land and energy, it is necessary for healthy living devoid of sicknesses in human existence, conducting business as well as creating wealth.
Cleanliness they say is next to godliness. It entails maintaining neatness both physically and mentally which can manifest in person's way of dressing, the house he lives or environment and surroundings.
The importance of good environment cannot be overestimated. According to many scientists, factors that influences the growth of individuals and the nation at large most has to do with the environment. unfortunately various elements that made up the environment, such as, air, water, land and others are contaminated.
A polluted environment is a health hazard and causes several diseases and ailments which endanger human chances of survival.
Today, open defecation, illegal dumping of refuse, inadequate sanitary facilities, noise and environmental pollution are major environmental hazards which must get immediate attention. To this end,an all encompassing system must be put in place to ensure corrective and preventive measures.
Growing up, the impact of the " Wolewoles" also known as Environmental Health Officers or Sanitary Officers were predominant, Sanitary Inspectors were household names for both young and old.
The then colonial government took the issue of preventive health services seriously because of the need to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes which was a killer then.
Sanitary Inspectors or Sanitarians play important role in the prevention and control of diseases from spreading in the communities. They conduct routine inspectional activities of food service establishments to assure safe, wholesome and healthy food products where they are produced or processed. They visit different communities, homes, markets, toensure they comply with sanitary rules, conduct routine shelter inspections to ensure adequate, safe and healthful housing for all people as well as observe and record general conditions identified.
It is glaring today that the functions of sanitary officers are not effective as they ought to. Factors such as dearth of trained personnel, working tools and incentives, inability to monitor their operations had all taken a toll in ensuring a safe environment.
More importantly, government at all levels must however support activities aimed at improving or maintaining the standard of basic environmental conditions affecting the well-being of people.
Such conditions include provision of clean and safe water, clean and safe ambient air that is devoid of pollution from industries, clean abbattoirs and hygienic ways of displaying food items for sale, human, and industrial waste disposal, protection of food from biological and chemical contaminants, and adequate housing in clean and safe surroundings.
Agencies of government such as Ministries of Environment, Urban and Physical Planning, Health Rural Water and Sanitation Boards must put all hands on deck to ensure enough enlightenment and campaign programmes right from primary schools and other institutions of learning in order to inculcate the habit of good hygiene to the young ones.
Prominent among the stakeholders are the families, they need to catch the children young by imbibing in them good mannerisms, acts of cleanliness before they migrate to the larger society, acts such as washing of hands regularly and whenever they become soiled with soap and water. Bathing regularly, washing of teeth and wearing clean clothes and footwear must be part of the day to day living of younger ones. This would help them to be neat citizens in the future.
The benefits of improved sanitation are enormous, apart from reducing the spread of intestinal worms, trachoma, which are neglected tropical diseases that cause suffering for millions, it reduces the severity and impact of malnutrition, as well as promote dignity and boost safety, particularly among women and girls.
A drive through streets of major cities show an overwhelming state of dirts and filth that has occupied major roads, drains and even medians. This unpalatable situation gives an impression of nonchalant attitudes of residents along such streets. Refuse and waste from homes without toilets are all eyesore not only to passerby but even to visitors and tourists to the area.
Little wonder, people who are used to dirt sit comfortably in dirty environments and work places unperturbed. All these attitudes must change to promote healthy society.
One of the biggest obstacles to tackle sanitation problem is people's mindset. It is therefore essential to step up education, campaign programmes in the media on the need for individuals to be conscious on how to keep the cities clean
The time is now when we must all take responsibilities for our actions by giving it what it takes to live and stay healthy. It's high time to change the mindset of individuals, by embracing various hygienic practices such as personal hygiene (hand washing, cleam dressing, correct table manner),Household cleanliness (kitchen, bathroom cleanliness, etc)Community cleanliness as well as proper hygiene at work place.
Here is a clarion to citizens to reset their mindsets and support government efforts at ensuring cleaner and healthy society.
Government at all levels are striving day-in-day-out to see to the well being on the governed. As a patriotic citizens, all hands must be on deck and see the issue of cleanliness as a task for all.
We must wake up from our slumber and realise it is not right for citizens to throw dirts from their vehicles to the main road, throw thrash carelessly around and even in gutters.
We must learn to embrace good personal hygiene, educate ourselves on the dangers of living in a dirty environment and thirst after a healthy society.
As the present administration in ogun state is putting in every strategy to have a clean environment in the state through the Environmental Health Officers known as Sanitary Inspectors who are sacddled primarily with the general inspection, detection and abatement of nuisances to the satisfaction of Public Health and Safety, let us join hands to keep ogun clean.
Oluwaseun Boye is an Information Officer with the Ogun State Ministry of Information and Strategy.
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