The Governor of Plateau State, Barr. Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang has flagged off the monthly environmental sanitation in Jos, the state capital. The exercise which is the first since coming into office about a month ago, is part of Governor Mutfwang’s vision of maintaining a clean and healthy environment to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Governor Mutfwang, who flagged off the exercise on Saturday along the Federal Secretariat road, Tudun Wada Jos, said the exercise would be replicated at the end of every month across the 17 Local Government Areas of the State.

“We are here to take a definite step to reinforce what we started from 30th May, 2023 when I declared a state of emergency on environmental sanitation. I want to say that the Task Force we constituted have done a great job so far and we want to appreciate them for what they have done.

“The issue of cleaning the environment is beyond the Task Force. It is something that must become a way of life for us. We are not a dirty people, we are people that live cleanliness and therefore, we must pick up the courage to begin again to ensure that our houses are kept clean, our neighborhoods are kept clean to ensure that the entire city is kept clean.

“But beyond the state capital, all other areas including the 17 local government areas should maintain the same drive towards ensuring cleanliness in their local government areas. From this day onward, we want to declare that every last Saturday of the month will be observed as Sanitation Day.”

Governor Mutfwang said the sanitation exercise should not be left to government alone, and charged every neighborhood to organize itself to maintain cleanliness in line with the vision of the administration.

“In the next sanitation day, sanitation courts will begin to move around to sanction people who do not share in the vision of keeping the environment clean, I don’t want anybody to be caught on the wrong side of the law. That is why we are educating our people to make sure that there is compliance”, he stated.

Chairman of the Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr. Albert Chaimang appreciated Governor Mutfwang for setting up a Committee to ensure a clean and healthy environment.

He said the Committee is determined to work round the clock to support the vision of Governor Mutfwang who believes that Plateau people will fare better in a clean environment as it is said that “cleanliness is next to godliness”.

The Governor was accompanied by the First Lady, Her Excellency, Barr. Helen Mutfwang; the Deputy Governor, Her Excellency, Ngo Josephine Piyo, Secretary to the Government of the State, Arc. Samuel Nanchang Jatau; Chief of Staff, Engr. Jeremiah Satmark, Special Adviser on Political Affairs, Chief Letep Dabang among other members of the Task Force on Environmental Sanitation.