BY UCHE-UGBEJIE ANITA CHUKWUMA
The people of Delta state have been advised to keep their environments clean and healthy so as to avoid infestation of pests and vectors. Deltans are also warned against keeping stagnant water, uncleared bushes and keeping dirty dishes in kitchens.
Mr. Sylvester Ofuyekpone, the chief scientific officer in the sanitation and waste management department of the Delta State Ministry of Environment, gave the advice during a fumigation exercise carried out at the commissioners’ quarters at the weekend.
Mr. Ofuyekpone, who led other staff of the department in the fumigation exercise, said the fumigation was aimed at deratising and larviciding indoor and outdoor of the residences of these government officials.
Last weekend, the ministry carried out the fumigation exercise at the legislators’ quarters and Fine Home Estate, both are quarters for the state lawmakers and other senior government officials.
On Saturday, November 18, 2023, commissioners’ quarters, permanent secretaries’ quarters, chief of staff and secretary to the state government quarters were also fumigated.
Ofuyekpone told our reporter that the fumigation exercise was necessary to reduce and prevent outbreak of diseases occasioned by invasion of rats, rodents, mosquitoes and other vectors which in the long run could lead to victims visiting hospitals.
“This is one of the core functions of the ministry of environment. We have to protect the environment. We protect the environment to avoid infections. If we prevent infections in the environment, the hospitals will not have much work to do. If the environment is not clean, sickness will come and the clinics will be overwhelmed. So, we are doing it to reduce sanitation related diseases across the state”, Mr. Ofuyekpone said in an interview.
The sanitation officer advised Deltans to always maintain clean environment, saying: “You should clean you environment. If your environment is clean, bushes are cleared, stagnant waters are removed, you bag your wastes and register with PSPs, pests and infestation will reduce in your home.
“But when you don’t practice this hygiene in your house, you cannot contain infestation of rats, rodents and mosquities. Make sure you wash your plates after eating at night. If you leave your plates unwashed, rats and mosquitoes will come. But if everywhere is clean, they will not come.
“My advice is that let people clean their environment to the barest minimum. Bushes should be cleared and stagnant water should be removed. These are necessary steps to block infestation of vectors and pests. It will also reduce disease and lower hospital visitation.”
He used the opportunity to reveal that major markets and dumpsites across the state will soon be fumigated before the end of the year. He said markets and dumpsites are critical places where commodities are sold, hence, they need to be fumigated to keep away pests and vectors.
Mrs. Patience Owivre, a deputy director in the department of sanitation and waste management, told this reporter that “We are carrying out pests and vector control. The Delta state of environment is very passionate about the health and safety of Deltans. We are carrying out this exercise in order to impact positively on public health. We are making sure that the environment is safe, free from reptiles, rodents, mosquitoes which are harmful to health.”
