It was smiles and appreciation on the faces of hundreds of commercial bus drivers in Ikpoba Okha and Agbor park units of the council and parts of Benin metropolis as over 3, 500 of them benefited from free waste baskets distribution by a group, Our Ikpoba Okha Initiative, as part of measures to assist the Edo State government and citizens keep the environment clean.
Most of the beneficiaries during the ceremony held at Upper Sakponba end of commercial bus drivers’ park near Benin, the state capital, expressed appreciation to the donor, Mr. Egboigbe Augustine and his team for their kind gesture.
They noted that the waste baskets would help to clean up the environment, particularly, in preventing commercial bus passengers from littering the streets with refuse such as can and sachet water bags and such other items that constitute blockage to drainage systems when it rains.
Speaking during the exercise, Mr. Egboigbe said the idea behind the distribution of waste baskets was aimed at assisting the state government to eradicate indiscriminate disposal of wastes from commercial buses which litter the major roads and streets within the town and its environs.
If you go to our major roads, you will discover that we have a lot of pure water bags on the roads, yoghurt cans, ice cream bags and other wastes from edible items. It is not as if the baskets are so expensive but it is about the will power. So, we deemed it fit as a people and as a group from Ikpoba Okha to see how we can assist the people and government, basically, as a social service,” Eboigbe said.
He disclosed also that the body would create volunteers to assist in reforming, restructuring, rebuilding the council even as he expressed hope that local governments should key into such process towards bring about the desir4ed change across the nation.
In addition, Eboigbe stated that members of the initiative were poised to also assist traffic officials with safety jackets to ensure easy flow vehicles in parts of the urban towns; encourage pupils and students to improve in reading culture, clean the markets places and environs; help the vulnerable members of the society through empowerment, etc.
For us, education is a priority and we want to see how we can partner with the state government and the Ikpoba Okha local government to ensure that basic education, which is compulsory for every child in my local government, gets it. If you educate a child from primary to secondary schools levels, you have inculcated wisdom and greatness in that child and that child will go places in the future. So, if you educate a child you have empowered him to become something,” Eboigbe added.
He appealed the people, especially the youths to join the campaign for a batter society.
One of the commercial drivers, Mr. Sunday Osemenghai, said: “The waste basket is a big encouragement and very nice gift for us because it will help make the roads to be clean and help passengers who eat inside the buses to drop their waste into the waste bin. God who will bless all the people who provided the baskets because other states I have visited there is nothing like wastes on the roads.
Also, Vincent Osifo, while commending the gesture, said: “It is good and will further boost the sanity and cleanliness in Edo State.”
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