The Ekiti State government has advised residents to desist from dumping waste into waterways and drains to forestall flooding and erosion.

The deputy governor, Monisade Afuye, gave the warning on Saturday while monitoring the monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Ikere-Ekiti.

She said that a clean environment could bring exponential improvement to life expectancy and reduce incidences of morbidity and mortality in the state.

Ms Afuye, who was accompanied on the exercise by the secretary to the state government (SSG), Habibat Adubiaro, and other top government functionaries, said that improved life expectancy was a function of a clean environment and personal hygiene.

She decried the indiscriminate dumping of refuse at the Gbolagun area of NITEL in Uro Quarters, which had led to the blockage of a canal and erosion in the axis.

Ms Afuye directed the department of environmental services of Ikere West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) to hold a meeting with the landlords of the area.

She warned the residents to desist from such unwholesome act that could trigger environmental degradation and unwarranted disease breakout.

Ms Afuye advised environmental health officers not to restrict their attention to only urban areas, but to also visit rural communities to enforce cleanliness.

The deputy governor further decried the opening of shops, drinking joints and markets during the exercise, describing it as a flagrant violation of the sanitation law.

She assured that the axis affected by erosion would be channelled properly in order to safeguard the lives and property of residents.

“I want you all to desilt the blocked canals. It is wrong for people to dump refuse inside canals.

“It is a common practice here in Ikere, going by our observation.

“This must change because this government won’t allow any act that can lead to a breakout of diseases in any part of Ekiti”, Ms Afuye said.

Earlier, the SSG, Ms Adubiaro, appealed to the residents to comply with all the directives given by the entourage to ensure cleanliness in the council.

Also, Egbejoda Adamolekun, chairman of Ikere Local Government, appealed to the state government to establish a mobile court in the area to try offenders.

He said that this was the solution to correct the people’s indifference to environmental laws and issues in the council.

Areas visited by the deputy governor and her team in Ikere-Ekiti were: Odo Oja, Oke- Osun, Gbolagun, Atiba, Eleyo, Sabo Odo-Oja and Kajola, among others.

(NAN)