The Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) has stressed that the state’s monthly sanitation exercise should be seen as a civic responsibility rather than an enforcement or revenue-generating activity.
Director General of PEPSA, Mr. Samuel Dapiya, who spoke after the exercise across Jos North Local Government Area on Saturday, said sanitation is about taking responsibility for one’s environment and ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy Plateau.
“Sanitation is first of all a social service. It is about taking responsibility for your environment and ensuring a clean, safe, and healthy Plateau. We just marked World Environmental Health Day, and one of our goals is to improve air quality. That cannot be achieved without active citizen involvement,” he said.
The DG noted that compliance levels were improving compared to previous months, with more residents and groups actively participating in the exercise.
“There have been great improvements in the cooperation of Plateau people. The streets are clean, and citizens are becoming more involved in sanitation. I want to thank the tricycle operators, NURTW, media practitioners, and business owners who complied from 7am to 10am to keep the state clean,” Dapiya said.
He, however, expressed concern over areas such as Faringada Market and Bauchi Motor Park, where there was “total flouting of the law,” adding that PEPSA would continue to engage unions and associations to drive greater cooperation.
On enforcement, Dapiya stressed that no one was above the law, citing the case of a defaulter who claimed to know him but was fined.
“The law has no friend; it is blind. The person in question is a community mobilizer—the chairman of Plateau United Supporters Club. He should set an example for others, so we ensured he was fined,” he said.
The sanitation exercise covered key areas including Terminus Market, Bauchi Road, Angwan Rogo, Angwan Rimi, Faringada, Alheri, and Polo Roundabout.
