Nasarawa State has embarked on sensitisation against cholera in its rural communities, Mr Musa Ibrahim, Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources said in Lafia on Saturday.
He told newsmen that the ministry was collaborating with traditional and religion leaders to educate the public on the need to maintain good hygiene standards to stave off outbreak of diseases.
“Residents should cooperate more with the government to ensure that the state is clean in their best interest.
“If the environment is kept clean, it will guard against possible outbreak of any disease,’’ the commissioner added.
Ibrahim also told newsmen that the state government in collaboration with the Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project has awarded contracts of more than N1.5 billion for the control of erosion.
He said the projects would control gully erosion in Doma, Lafia, Keffi, Toto, and Nasarawa local government areas.
Meanwhile, a Mobile Court, handling environmental-related cases, prosecuted 32 persons suspected to have violated environmental sanitation laws in Lafia on Saturday.
The prosecutor, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, who is also a Chief Environment Officer, told the court that the suspects were transacting their private businesses while August’s monthly sanitation exercise was on-going.
He urged the court to sanction the culprits accordingly to serve as deterrent to others.
The judge, Mr Abdullahi Lande, convicted and sentenced them to six months imprisonment each with option of fine of between N5,000 and N50,000.
(NAN)
