By Christiana Gokyo, Jos
The Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA) has arrested and prosecuted 22 people for violating the state’s monthly environmental sanitation exercise, warning that stricter enforcement and tougher penalties may be introduced to improve compliance.
The Chief Magistrate attached to PEPSA for the enforcement of the sanitation exercise, Hon. Yop Ashoms, disclosed this while speaking to journalists after monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise in Jos on Saturday.
She said the monitoring team inspected several areas, including Terminus, Filling Bowl, and Congo-Russia in Nasarawa, Jos North Local Government Area, where they observed poor compliance with the sanitation directive.
According to her, the environmental sanitation court convicted and penalized 22 offenders, including people found on transit during the restricted hours, commercial transport operators, and residents who failed to keep their surroundings clean.
Hon. Ashoms described the level of compliance as “very low,” noting that many residents claimed they were unaware that the day had been set aside for environmental sanitation.
“Everybody knows that in Plateau State, every last Saturday of the month is designated for environmental sanitation. I do not think ignorance is an excuse,” she said.
She stressed that ignorance of the law cannot be accepted as a defense in court, adding that maintaining a clean environment is essential to protecting public health.
“If we do not have a healthy environment, we cannot have healthy people in our communities and across the state. There is a need for stiffer punishment to deter
offenders,” she added.
The magistrate also called for a review of the existing sanitation laws, arguing that the current fines are no longer serving as an effective deterrent because many offenders simply pay the penalties and continue violating the regulations.
Also speaking, PEPSA’s Director of Administration, Mr. Izang Pate, said the inspection covered areas from Terminus through Filling Bowl to Congo-Russia, where officials found several blocked and dirty drainage channels.
He described environmental sanitation as more than a routine government exercise, saying it is a civic responsibility and a vital public health intervention.
“A dirty environment is a sick environment, and a sick environment produces sick people,” Pate said.
He lamented the poor participation of residents in the exercise, warning that anyone who refuses to participate in environmental sanitation is acting against the interests of the government, their family, and themselves.
Pate said house-to-house inspections showed only about 50 percent compliance among residents, urging communities to improve their sanitation habits.
He also raised concerns over reports of a cholera outbreak in Jos North, saying poor sanitation and open defecation were major contributing factors.
The director appealed to religious and community leaders to intensify public enlightenment campaigns on environmental hygiene and encourage residents to make cleanliness a daily habit rather than a monthly exercise.
He further condemned the construction of shops and kiosks on drainage channels, describing the practice as illegal and dangerous.
According to him, PEPSA has directed owners and landlords of such structures to remove them voluntarily, warning that the agency would return next week to demolish any illegal structures still obstructing drainage channels.
Pate reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to enforcing environmental laws and ensuring a cleaner and healthier Plateau State.
