As Nigerians celebrate this year’s Easter season, the Ogun State government has urged residents of the state and visitors to celebrate the holiday in a clean, healthy and safe environment.

The Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, who gave the charge in a statement in Abeokuta, on Friday, congratulated Christians and residents of the state for witnessing another Easter season, wishing them a fun-filled celebration.

Oresanya urged them to make cleanliness of their environment their watchword by cleaning their surroundings, de-silting their drainage channels and storing their waste in covered containers that would be collected by PSP operators assigned to their areas.

“All PSP operators in the state have been mandated to work throughout this festive period to collect wastes in all their assigned areas for effective waste management, especially with expected increase in waste generation from the celebration.

“Aside from this, all government waste management and environmental officials and equipment have been deployed to various parts of the state for special Easter duties, which are geared towards maintaining a clean environment statewide.”

For traders, Oresanya urged them to transact their businesses in clean, healthy and safe environments, especially at this period when upsurge in trading activities are expected.

He urged them not to engage in street trading, warning that Environment Marshalls would be on duty throughout the state to maintain law and order in all markets statewide.

He reminded “emergency traders” who trade in livestock and other items, displaying them on roadsides and median or in car booths and public places to desist and move into markets, as there are enough spaces to accommodate them.

He added that the state government would not only seize their goods, but also prosecute them for destroying the aesthetic beauty of the state through their illegal street trading.

Oresanya also urged motorists to drive with caution to avoid unnecessary accidents during this festive season as street sweepers would be on duty to keep the state roads clean.

He implored carnival organisers not to block any street roads for their celebration as the state environmental laws forbid blocking of state roads for parties and carnivals.