The Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, has identified environmental sanitation as one of the key requirements for prevention of diseases in the country.
Ibrahim said this at the kick-off of the 2021 NYSC National Environmental Sanitation exercise on Saturday, July 24, 2021 in Akure, Ondo State.
The director-general, who was represented by the NYSC Ondo State Coordinator, Mrs Victoria Ani, said environmental sanitation helped prevent escalation of diseases to epidemic proportion.
Ibrahim said the scheme would not relent in providing adequate information that would save the lives of the citizens and residents of the country.
He said efforts must be stepped up to enlighten the general public, especially the rural dwellers, on the health risks of poor hygiene with particular focus on the prevention of contamination of food, water and the entire environment’.
“It may interest you to know that during the nationwide medical outreaches recently conducted on the platform of the NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers, most of the ailments diagnosed and treated were as a result of poor hygiene.
“I wish to assure Nigerians that we will not rest on our oars as we continue to offer health and other services including environmental protection.
”I am particularly hopeful about the prospects of this exercise because with regular sanitation, malaria and other related diseases will be reduced to the barest minimum,” he said.
He noted that some of the ailments caused by poor hygiene included; chronic diarrhoea, ringworm, dysentery, typhoid, polio, scabies trachoma, Hepatitis A and malaria, amongst others.
Ibrahim said efforts must be made to save many more lives by empowering people with adequate information on good grooming and environmental hygiene.
The sanitation exercise was carried out in major public places such as government offices, local government secretariats, palaces, markets, motor parks, gutters and drainages on major roads.
The exercise took place in all the local governments areas of the state.
The NYSC also conducted environmental sanitation at different markets and motor parks in the 17 local government areas of Plateau State.
NYSC boss Brig-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim’s address was read by Ms Caroline Embu, the Plateau State Coordinator of the NYSC, to the corps members during the exercise.
Ibrahim said that the scheme recognised that environmental sanitation was a required key for the prevention of diseases and epidemics in the society.
The D-G said that the NYSC embarked on the exercise following the outcome of the nationwide medical outreach recently conducted on the platform of NYSC Health Initiative for Rural Dwellers (HIRD).
He said that from there, it was revealed that most of the ailments diagnosed and treated were as a result of poor hygiene.
He called for more sensitisation to empower people with adequate information on good grooming and environmental hygiene.
The D-G stated that environmental protection and sanitation had become inseparable for a stable, healthy and sustainable ecosystem.
Mr Ali Hassan, the General Secretary of Market Association in Bukuru, applauded the NYSC for embarking on environmental sanitation in markets and motor parks.
Hassan said that the exercise was a laudable one, adding that the NYSC had shown that aside unifying people, the scheme was also concerned about clean environment and health of the people.
Another trader at the Bukuru market, Mr Nasiru Yahaya, commended the NYSC for embarking on such exercise, saying it would help prevent diseases caused by dirty environments.
Yahaya appealed to the NYSC to make the exercise a fortnightly event as it would be of great benefit to everyone.
Mr Lucky Onyebuchi, the Chairman of the Traders Association, Gada Biu Market, said that the exercise was the first of its kind experienced in the market.
He commended the NYSC for putting such an initiative in place as it would benefit the people and the environment at large.
The leader of the Gada-Biu Motor Park, Mr Mgbedike Nwogbo, appreciated the NYSC for embarking on the exercise.
The corps members swept and cleared wastes in the markets and at motor parks.
The exercise took place at the Gada Biu Market and the motorpark in Jos North and in Bukuru Market in Jos South Local Government areas of Plateau.
By Segun Giwa and Blessing Odega
