Edo to institute reward system for cleanest market – Obaseki

The Edo State Government says it will institute a reward system to honour the cleanest market in the state at the end of every year.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki of Edo disclosed this on Wednesday in Benin at a stakeholders’ meeting between the executive members of the Market Women Associations and waste managers.

He said the initiative was meant to achieve a clean and green environment of global standard

Obaseki, who was represented by the Acting General Manager of Edo Waste Management Board, Prince Aiyamenkhua Akonofua, said the exercise would begin from September, with a monthly assessment of the sanitary practices of all the markets.

The governor stressed the need to establish a sanitation committee that would comprise market women leaders and waste managers.

He said that the committee would be saddled with the responsibility of clearing waste from every market.

Obaseki warned against street hawking, saying any market woman leader aiding and abetting hawking would face the necessary sanctions.

He said that markets must be clean through concerted efforts of both the market women leaders and the waste managers by ensuring a “timely and proper evacuation of refuse”.

“The market women will handle the sweeping of markets to complement the efforts of the state government and arrange with the waste managers as and when and where to evacuate refuse.” Obaseki said.

He said that a special training for the market women executive officers and the market sanitation committee would soon be organized by the state government.