No fewer than 20 persons, including traders, were on Saturday arrested and prosecuted for failing to comply with sanitation laws.

After monitoring this month’s exercise in Ado-Ekiti, the director, Environmental Health and Sanitation, Tunde Balogun, told journalists that the task force also seized goods.

Mr Balogun, who said he was unhappy with the attitude of people of the state towards hygiene, said the arrested offenders were made to face legal consequences to serve as a lesson to others.

Also, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Babatunde Alokan, expressed dissatisfaction with people’s compliance with the monthly sanitation.

He observed that people in areas like Okeyinmi market, motor parks and, majorly, Okesa market were engaging in normal business activities against the order, which restricts trading and movement of people.

Mr Alokan said despite various sensitisation and jingles on the radio and social media, people’s attitude to a hygienic environment is still poor.

“We are not happy to see operational markets during environmental sanitation. The government will not fold its arms to allow residents to continue to engage in habits that can encourage epidemic,” Mr Alokan said.

The permanent secretary, who maintained that efforts would be geared towards more sensitisation, appreciated the residents of Igbehin street, Basiri, bank road, Ajilosun, Ilawe Road, and Federal Poly Road for better compliance.

(NAN)