The Sokoto State Chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has promised to provide free medical services to people taking part in the environmental sanitation in the state.

The Chairman, NMA in the state, Dr. Abdulgafar Jimoh, stated this in a statement issued in Sokoto on Sunday.

According to him, the gesture is aimed at complementing the efforts of the state government to rid the state of filth.

“The programme will in no small measure improve on the health of the citizenry as most of the communicable diseases are associated with poor sanitation and poor personal hygiene.

“We wish to encourage the Tambuwal's administration to maintain and sustain this public health initiative.

“It will certainly reduce communicable and water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and malaria which are among the major public health problems in our society.

“We wish to assure the state government of continuous support in developing the health sector.

“A clean environment is a necessary requirement to a healthy life.”

Meanwhile, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has commended the people for turning out in large number to participate in the Saturday environmental sanitation across the state.

A statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs to the governor, Mr. Imam Imam, on Sunday said the governor was very pleased with the massive, encouraging and patriotic responses of the people of the state.

The governor restated the commitment of his administration to sustain the efforts being made to keep the state clean and restore the lost glory of Sokoto city as the cleanest city in Nigeria.

“'No efforts made or resources spent in ridding the state of dirt, ensure the prevalence of a clean environment and keep diseases at bay are too much.

“This is a task that we have now realized that we are not in it alone, as the massive participation of the various strata of the society in Saturday's exercise had shown.”

NAN reports that Tambuwal had during the launching of the exercise on Saturday announced cash rewards of N2.3m to the three cleanest communities at the end of the sanitation.

Tambuwal had announced that the communities that emerged as the first, second and third cleanest will get a reward of N1million, N750, 000, and N500, 000, respectively.

Tambuwal also disclosed that the next four Saturdays from Aug. 22 would be observed as environmental sanitation days, with restriction of movement between 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. on each day.

The governor further announced that subsequently, each first Saturday of the new month would be observed as an environmental sanitation day, with similar restriction of movement. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov. Tambuwal

Update news