In commemoration of the 66th birthday of Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, the Office of the Head of Service, in collaboration with the body of Permanent Secretaries, has organized a one-day Volunteer Environmental Sanitation Exercise.
The Sanitation exercise, which took place in major parts of Benin City such as Oba Market, New Benin, Upper Mission Extension, and Oregbeni, had as its theme “Public Service MEGA Clean Up.”
The Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa Esq., who led some team members to various parts of the State, said, “We are celebrating the best Governor in Nigeria.”
While highlighting the developmental strides of Governor Godwin Obaseki in the Public Sector, Okungbowa noted, “This is the Governor that has given Edo State Public Service the best workspace environment, the best equipment in the whole of this Country.”
Okungbowa said, “This is the Governor that has given Edo State Public Service the best intellectual property resource centre in this Country.”
According to him, they decided to embark on the cleaning exercise to honour him because of the Governor’s great passion for the environment.
Speaking at the premises of Urhokpota Hall, near Oba Market, the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, Hon. Chris Nehikare, noted that the sanitation exercise is a welcome development.
He said, “One of the major drivers of this Government is to make sure that Edo is clean; we have a clean city and a green city. I am quite happy this happened today to mark the Governor’s 66th birthday, and I hope we can all sustain this.”
The Commissioner also stressed the need for everyone to clean their homes regularly, adding that when all homes are clean, the City becomes clean.
Hon. Nehikare further stated, “In cleaning, not just removing dirt, but making sure the grasses are well manicured, making sure the plastics are removed and kept, not to block our drains. If we sustain this for the next few months, we will have a cleaner and greener city.”
Similarly, the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Architect Joshua Omokhodion, while speaking at the New Benin axis, stated that the Governor is very passionate about the wellbeing of the people. He continued, “He has told us that the only way we can finish strong is to bequeath wellness to the people.”
According to Architect Omokhodion, there is no way to bequeath wellness to people other than having a clean environment. He also disclosed that the sanitation exercise would not be a one-off thing, explaining that it would be permanent.
Architect Omokhodion noted, “We have people coming all over the world to visit us, but they cannot come into Edo State if we have a dirty environment. And Governor Obaseki insists that we must bring back the glory days of Edo State and even do better. So, to that end, this is going to be part of our culture; it is going to be part of our people.”
