By Fred Itua
The reintroduction of the monthly environmental sanitation exercise by the Edo State Government is not just a policy move — it is a clarion call for collective responsibility. Governor Monday Okpebholo’s approval of the sanitation exercise, scheduled for the last Saturday of every month from 7:00 am to 10:00 am, is a timely intervention aimed at rescuing our State from the grip of filth, disease, and environmental neglect.
Anyone who walks the streets of Benin City and other urban centres in the State will agree that we are at a tipping point. Our markets, once known for their vibrancy, are now more famous for piles of refuse. Drainages meant to channel stormwater have become stagnant pools clogged with debris. Streets and communities reek of neglect, stained with the evidence of poor sanitation and years of indifference.
It is, therefore, not just necessary — but urgent — that we all support this sanitation policy. Cleanliness, they say, is next to godliness. But beyond morality, it is a public health imperative. From malaria to cholera, the diseases that thrive in dirty environments continue to claim lives and reduce productivity, especially among our vulnerable populations. We cannot continue to look away while our environment deteriorates.
Some voices have argued that without a specific law backing the sanitation directive, the move is unconstitutional. While legal frameworks are important for the sustainability of such initiatives, we must ask ourselves a deeper question: Should we fold our hands and let our city be overwhelmed by filth while we wait for legislative processes? Should the absence of a law be an excuse for irresponsibility? The spirit of this policy is not coercion — it is community. It is a rallying point for all Edo residents to reclaim the dignity of our environment.
Let us not reduce this noble initiative to a debate over legality. Let us instead focus on the bigger picture — a cleaner, healthier, and more livable Edo State. The sanitation exercise is for us all: traders, artisans, civil servants, students, and leaders alike. It is a commitment to clean our homes, our markets, our streets, and our hearts.
As the first edition kicks off on Saturday, April 26th, 2025, let us all rise to the occasion. Let us sweep, pack, and clean with pride, knowing that the future we are building depends on the environment we nurture today.
A clean Edo is not the government’s responsibility alone — it is ours.
Fred Itua is the Chief Press Secretary to the Edo State Governor.