The September 28th environmental sanitation exercise in Jos witnessed continued challenges with compliance, particularly in the Jos South local government area, even with the presence of security personnel, PEPSA officials, and a mobile court aimed at enforcing adherence to the sanitation directive.
This situation was evident as many individuals conducted their business activities, ignoring the stay-at-home orders issued by PEPSA.
PEPSA’s Director of Administration, Mrs. Antonia Shalwal, confirmed that over 33 individuals were fined for violating the regulations.
She highlighted a significant lack of compliance, particularly among pedestrians who neglected to clean their surroundings and traders at Kugiya Market in Bukuru who failed to observe the sanitation requirements.
“PEPSA will ensure that before next month’s sanitation, the marketers will be given a designated day to carry out their own cleaning,” she stated, adding that a committee has been established to monitor the marketers’ adherence to the rules and to promote maximum compliance.
Moreover, Mrs. Shalwal indicated that PEPSA is considering increasing fines for defaulters, as the current penalties are deemed too lenient, causing some individuals to disregard regulations.
In addition, she urged security agents to adopt a proactive approach during sanitation duties, ensuring that individuals caught without a PEPSA pass are promptly taken to mobile court judges for prosecution.
“Some of the security personnel take their duties with so much levity,” she lamented. Echoing her concerns, the Deputy Police Officer of Jos South, Mr. Silas Babuje, remarked on the complete lack of compliance in the area, noting that pedestrians and motorists continued to use the roads without observing the sanitation requirements, despite personnel being stationed at strategic points.
“Most people don’t come out to clean their environments as stated, thereby allowing for an unhealthy atmosphere,” he asserted.
He assured that the government would take decisive steps to educate citizens on the significance of sanitation exercises, emphasizing, “Proper sensitization will be carried out henceforth in order to ensure strict compliance.”