The FCT Minister, Malam
Muhammad Bello, said on Saturday that the cleanest Area Council in the territory would receive a befitting golden prize from President Muhammadu Buhari.
Bello made this known at the inauguration of the Household and Community Sanitation in Abaji, the headquarters of the Abaji Area Council of the FCT.
According to him, for the mere fact that the prize would be handed over to the best Area Council by Mr President is enough recognition.
“The FCT Administration has already put mechanism in place to reward the cleanest Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory with a befitting prize which would be presented by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The culture of a clean environment being spearheaded by household and community leaders must be brought back to our society,’’ he said.
The Minister, who was represented at the occasion by the FCT Permanent Secretary, Dr Babatope Ajakaiye, said that the people must be involved in order to get it right.
Bello insisted that the children and wards should be taught the importance of a clean environment the way it used to be.
This, he said, would help to eradicate all these avoidable diseases like lassa fever which naturally can be tackled if rodents like rats could be avoided in our houses.
He urged the people of Abaji not to wait for someone to come and teach them how to clean their environment, adding that the behaviour must be instilled and sustained.
“The FCT Administration has considered the policy of reward and punishment as it concerns environmental sanitation to encourage the residents to proactively clean their immediate environment,” he said.
Bello said that the issues of improved personal hygiene and removal of environmental nuisance in the Area Councils and Satellite Towns in the FCT, is on the front burner of the present administration.
He promised that the Traditional Ruler in whose domain is the cleanest Area Council would also be adequately rewarded and thus, charged the Traditional Rulers to take the lead.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Environment, Hajiya Amina Mohammed stated that sanitation is vital to human health as healthy people are more productive at work place.
Mohammed, who was represented by the Federal Director of Forestry, Mr Philip Bankole, noted that clean environment is the collective responsibility of all for a healthy living.
She added that healthy communities also offer more lucrative market for our goods and services.
She said that poor sanitation has negative effects on the environment, and therefore, urged the people to support the government by participating actively in all the developmental activities.
The Executive Secretary of the FCDA, Adamu Ismaila, some Area Councils Chairmen of the FCT, several Directors of the FCT Administration, the Ona of Abaji and the Etsu Yaba also attended the occasion.