GEHI, conducts cleaning exercises, sensitises market people

By: Favour Ulebor

Members of GEHI

Grassroot Environment Healthcare Initiative (GEHI) has organised a cleanup in Abuja Market and called for the need for a cleaner environment to promote healthy living in Nigeria.

The FCT Coordinator of GEHI, Egene Tijani, stressed this in an interview with NewsPeddlers on Saturday in Wuse Market Abuja, where cleanup and sensitization were carried out.

He said, "We are here to sensitise the market, men and women, on the need for general sanitation, and whatever you give to the environment is what the environment gives back to you, and as such, we are here to sensitise the market people on the need to keep their environment clean at all times."

The National Coordinator of GEHI, Nkechi Sunday, while stressing the need for a cleaner environment, said, "If 70% of our food is safe, our health as individuals would improve."

She further stated that "we need to have a clean, healthy, and safe environment. Our aim is to sensitise people to the need to be clean, especially in the marketplace. Most of them rarely observe sanitation; we chose market for this exercise because this is the place where our food is being sold. If the market is clean, 70% of our food will be safe, which will in one way bring safety to our health".

Also speaking, Bello Jubril the Environmental Officer, Abuja Environmental Protection Board, (AEPB) lauded the initiative, stating that it is one step to creating change in our environment.

The General Secretary of GEHI, Celestine Onah, said, "The organisation is focusing basically on proper waste management within FCT and hopes to cover all market areas within Abuja."

GEHI is a non-governmental organisation that promotes the best sanitation and hygiene practices in rural and urban communities for optimum healthy living through empowerment, advocacy, sensitization, and training.