The Kano State government has suspended the April monthly sanitation exercise to enable the smooth conduct of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

Dahiru Hashim, the commissioner for environment and climate change, disclosed this in a statement by Ismail Gwammaja, the director of public enlightenment, on Thursday in Kano.

The UTME, organised by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, kicked off nationwide on April 24.

Mr Hashim said the decision to suspend the April edition of the sanitation exercise was to prevent challenges that could affect the smooth conduct of the examination.

“We took the decision after due consultations with key stakeholders; it is aimed at preventing any potential disruptions to the examination in the state.

“The suspension only applies to April; the sanitation exercise will resume fully in May. Our residents are urged to bear with us,” he said.

The commissioner stated that the state government was committed to the well-being of the residents and the environmental cleanliness of the state.

“We are committed to maintaining a clean and healthy environment, and we won’t let our sanitation activities conflict with other important events,” he said.

Mr Hashim urged residents of the state to avoid indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the drains to avoid blockage of water channels.

(NAN)