Perm Sec commends Ibrahim over corps participation in environmental exercise

Akpan Umoh, Uyo

The Permanent Secretary, Akwa Ibom State Government House, Dr Nathaniel Adiakpan, has praised the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brig.-Gen. Shuaibu Ibrahim, for the NYSC National Environmental Sanitation Exercise initiative.

Adiakpan, who received some corps members led by the State Coordinator, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, after the national environmental exercise by the corps members in Uyo on Saturday, said the exercise was highly necessary to ensure cleanliness of environment.

He urged management of NYSC scheme to ensure the sustenance of the exercise to inculcate environmental discipline on corps members.

Adiakpan said: “We must commend the sound initiative of the Director General of NYSC, Brig.-Gen Shuaibu Ibrahim for this programme. We hope it will be a continuous exercise. This is a welcome development in our nation.”

The permanent secretary charged corps members serving in the state to embrace and acquaint themselves with the culture of the people and learn the language of their host communities to integrate easily.

Earlier, the state coordinator of NYSC in Akwa Ibom, Mrs Chinyere Ekwe, who read the DG’s address said that with regular sanitation exercise, malaria and other related diseases would be reduced to the barest minimum.

Ibrahim said NYSC would step up efforts to enlighten the public, especially rural dwellers on the health risks of poor hygiene.

The DG said environmental sanitation has been recognised globally as the key requirements for prevention of diseases and their escalation to epidemic proportion.

“I am particularly hopeful about the prospect of this exercise because with regular sanitation, malaria and other related diseases will be reduced to the barest minimum.

“We can no longer afford to be indifferent to anything that will be detrimental to public health and safety. Therefore, efforts must be made to save many more lives by empowering the people with adequate information on good grooming and environmental hygiene,” Ibrahim said.

He said that environmental protection and sanitation have become inseparable for a stable, healthy, and sustainable ecosystem.

The DG commended the state governments, traditional rulers, community leaders and other stakeholders for supporting the scheme. The theme of the programme which holds simultaneously in the 31 local government areas of the state is: “Clean Environment/Good Hygiene: Panacea for Good Health and Long Life.”