Sokoto residents clean streets in race for N2.2m

Sokoto residents hoping to make a clean sweep of Governor Aminu Tambuwal prize for the leanest neighbourhoods as they trooped out in their thousands at the weekend for a special sanitisation exercise. 

Tambuwal had on Saturday announced prizes for the top three cleanest neighbourhoods, with the winner getting N1 million, the second-placed N750,000 and the third N250,000.

He also announced that for the next four Saturdays, the state will observe the special sanitation exercise after which it will be held monthly.

The state-wide environmental sanitation is the first of its kind ordered by Sokoto state government since the stoppage of the national environmental sanitation by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration in 1999.

Responding to Tambuwal’s incentive, residents of Sokoto metropolis and other parts of the state organised themselves into groups and invited officials of the state ministry of environment to ‎inspect their areas in order to capture one of the top prizes on offer.

Many said they not only cleaned their streets, but involved their wives and female wards to ensure that all houses were cleaned from the inside.

One of the youths, Misbahu Kamilu, from Kanwuri area of Sokoto town, said they are determined to win the N1m on offer as top prize.

“As you can see, ‎we have mobilised ourselves and dedicated this weekend to the sanitation of our environment, we hope to win the N1m,” he told reporters.

Refuse trucks are already reportedly overstretched as a result of the volume of dirt generated on the first day of the exercise.

The incentive has received commendation from various professional groups and individuals in the state, with the Sokoto chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) promising to provide free medical services to all persons taking part in the exercise.