Benue to inaugurates permanent sanitation court

In its bids to ensure speedy trial of violators of sanitation laws in Benue State, a permanent Sanitation Court would soon be inaugurated by the state Sanitation Agency, to dispense justice on daily basis.

General Manager of the agency, Andrew Chile made the disclosure at the recently after monitoring the monthly sanitation exercise in Makurdi, the state capital.

Chile said the construction of the sanitation court complex is at the stage of completion, noting that the authority has obtained approval from the state ministry of justice to assign a Magistrate who would take charge of cases emanating from offenders of the law.

He expressed disgust over the continued uncooperative attitude of members of the public in participating in sanitation exercises, stating that the law before the assembly would strengthen the charges against offenders as a deliberate measure to enforce compliance by residents.

Reacting to allegations of gross misconducts by some officials of enforcement team who set violators free after collecting gratifications from them, he vowed to deal charge such staff caught perpetuating the act to sanitation court.

“Yes, I have received reports that some of my staff get involve in collecting money from offenders and releasing them without charging them to court. We are going to investigate them and assert appropriate sanctions.”

It would be recalled that over one hundred persons were also recently charged and convicted by the sanitation court for violating the state monthly sanitation law.Those convicted for violating the law on the exercise included motorcycle riders, food vendors, wanderers, market women and some roadside artisans who were made to pay charges between N2,000 to N10,000, depending on the magnitude of their offenses.
Benue state had set aside Saturday of every month to be observed by residents as clean-up day from 7.00 am to 9.00am.