Kogiflame
The National Youth Services Corps (NYSC) in Kogi, has offered free Environmental sanitation services to Kabawa communities in Lokoja to prevent outbreak of diseases.
The NYSC also enlightened the residents with adequate information on good grooming, environmental and personal hygienes.
Kabawa community comprised of rural traditional communities in confluence city of Lokoja the state capital.
Speaking at the event on Saturday in Lokoja, the Kogi State Coordinator of NYSC, Mr Femi Osungbohun, said the exercise was being carried out nationwide as mandated by the NYSC Director General, Brig. -Gen. Yushau Ahmed.
Osungbohun noted that environmental sanitation had been recognised globally as one of the key requirements for prevention of diseases and their escalation to epidemic.
He stressed the need to intensify efforts to enlighten the general public especially the rural dwellers on the health risks of poor hygiene with focus on food contamination prevention, water and the environment.
“To achieve a clean environment, every community member will have to be mobilised for participation in the exercise, which will feature sensitisation, disease surveillance and report of outbreaks.
“Indeed, the call to action will promote cooperation and reduce indifference and ignorance as seen in the robust response to the COVID-19 pandemic with awareness creation and vigilance.
“We can no longer afford to be indifferent to anything that will be detrimental to public health and safety,” Osungbohun said.
Osungbohun stressed that the NYSC was making efforts to save many lives by empowering the people with adequate information on good grooming and environmental hygiene.
According to him, the NYSC sensitisation efforts will focus on regular environmental sanitation, proper waste disposal, clean food and water intake, hand wash, protection from food and water contamination, among others.
“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,” Osungbohun said.
In his remarks, the Kogi Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Monday Anyebe, who was represented by Mrs Esther Ogaji, commended the NYSC for the initiative.
The Commissioner assured the NYSC of the continuous support of the state government for the corps members in the state, while urging the residents to imbibe thee habit of keeping their environment clean .
In their comments, the Caretaker Committee Chairman of Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdullahi Adamu; and Maigari of Lokoja, Alh. Ibrahim Gambo, commended the NYSC for the initiative.
The Maigari, who was represented by the Waziri of Lokoja, Alhaji Abdulrahman Idris, assured the NYSC of his total support in order to achieve the desired objectives of the exercise.
The highlight of the occasion was the Health talk by the President of NYSC Medical CDS, Dr Adeniyi Ayomide, as well as the flag off of the exercise by the NYSC State coordinator.
Stakeholders at the event include: representatives from Red Cross, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Religious and Traditional leaders, among others.
