Kwara State governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has provided health insurance for street sweepers in the state, saying it was necessary for them to be healthy and active at work.

The state’s Deputy Governor, Kayode Alabi, disclosed this on Saturday in Ilorin during an interactive session with the sweepers.

Mr Alabi, represented by the Commissioner for Youth Development, Shehu Ndanusa, said the sweepers would therefore be registered by the state health insurance officials.

He said that they would be given registration/enrollment cards to be used at state-owned hospitals.

He added, “Most of the sweepers are indigenes and have the opportunity to access the health insurance for free. All they need to do is to get registered. This is to encourage them to perform well in their work and make them know that their health is paramount to us.’’

The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Nafisat Buge, while speaking during the event, said it was to celebrate workers who work tirelessly to make the city clean.

“This is done through prompt release of the monthly allocation used for the operations of sanitation, repair of trucks and payment of these categories of workers. An occasion like this will help these workers to pour out their minds on some of the challenges or hazard of keeping the state clean and the way forward,” the Commissioner, represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Abubakar Ayinla, said.

One of the sweepers, Abosede Amuda, while responding on behalf of others, thanked the state government for promptly paying their salaries.

She noted that they received their June payment before the Sallah celebration.

Ms Amuda however said that the N15,000 being paid monthly was too small, saying they hardly have money to feed after removing transport fare to work daily.

She said, “We plead with the government to increase our salary by considering the hike in transportation fare and increase in prices of food stuffs in the market.’’

The sweepers also asked for more environmental task force officials to be deployed across the state, to ensure proper disposal of refuse.

They claimed that some residents of the state deliberately pour their waste on the roads.

Twenty five sweepers were awarded for their diligent service and were given a sum of N5,000 with a big food warmer.

The organisers however gave the sweepers present at the event with transportation fare back home.

(NAN)