General Manager of Benue State Environmental and Sanitation Agency (BENSESA), Chief Anta Igbaato
Management of the Benue State Environmental and Sanitation Agency (BENSESA) has expressed concern over the poor attitude of residents towards sanitation laws and has called for a change in public behaviour.
Speaking with journalists in his office in Makurdi, the General Manager of BENSESA, Chief Anta Igbaato, disclosed that nearly 90 per cent of residents, especially those living within the Makurdi metropolis, including shop owners, hardly comply with existing sanitation regulations.
According to him, the agency has put in place penalties for offenders but has exercised caution in enforcing the laws, particularly those regulating road setbacks, which are frequently violated by traders.
He explained that many of the offenders are people who cannot afford shops and are forced to sell along road setbacks to earn a living. Some of them, he noted, are internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were driven out of their communities and relocated to the city with little support.
Igbaato lamented that driving such people away from illegal trading activities could amount to “killing their families” because they depend solely on such means for survival. However, he urged them to make every effort to comply with sanitation laws while pursuing their livelihoods.
The BENSESA boss frowned at the activities of some traders, particularly at Wurukum Market, who own shops within the market but deliberately display their goods on road setbacks, thereby causing traffic congestion.
He described the practice as completely unacceptable and stressed that government would be forced to intensify enforcement against those who deliberately flout the rules.
Igbaato expressed optimism that enforcement of the law prohibiting the display of goods on road setbacks would commence soon, with the aim of clearing the roads within the market for smooth vehicular movement.
He further revealed that the agency has constituted a special task force to ensure that Makurdi remains clean. The task force, he said, would compel traders who occupy road setbacks—especially those who own shops but abandon them—to vacate such spaces or face punitive measures.
To prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the enforcement exercise to steal from shop owners, Igbaato disclosed that the agency would involve security personnel to provide adequate protection, despite the financial implications.
He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for his continued support to the agency in carrying out its mandate and pledged that BENSESA would remain committed to making Makurdi cleaner and more orderly.
The General Manager also appealed to residents to support the government’s efforts by keeping their surroundings clean, disposing of refuse in designated waste bins, or waiting for refuse collection vehicles, rather than dumping waste in the quality drainage systems constructed by the present administration for proper water flow.
He stressed that collective responsibility and adherence to sanitation laws are key to achieving a healthier and more livable Makurdi.
