Plateau Environmental Protection and Sanitation Agency (PEPSA), has expressed dismay over non  compliance to sanitation guidelines by the irate citizens.

Our correspondent reports that the agency who went to some communities within Jos and Bukuru metropolis to monitor its monthly routine sanitation for the month of May 2025, on Saturday dissatisfied with the attitude of some residents.

This comes to realization when the law enforcement agents visits Gangare, Dilimi, Filin Ball and Nasarawa communities discovered there were non adherence to the sanitation exercise, the situation in which defaulters were punished accordingly.

Speaking to newsmen after the closing hour of the sanitation, the Magistrate Debra Abok Nyam, confirmed that defaulters were arrested and prosecuted based on the magnitude of their violation.

"We have gone round and succeeded in making some arrest. We have arrested 10 motorcycles and so many number of defaulters."

The Magistrate stated that the jurisprudence behind paying fine, saying one thousand Naira is the least of it as the payment of fine depends on the level of violation one committed.

She charged residents to take sanitation serious and avoid the outbreak of cholera and other pandemic.

PEPSA director of enforcement, Pam Dalyop, revealed despite constant advocacy prior to the day of the sanitation majority of the residents err to observe.

He promised that the law enforcement agency will go tough against defaulters in the month of June.

"Actually, there was good coordination from all key stakeholders. However, the most unfortunate situation was in areas from Gangare down to Angwan Rukuba. Compliance there was very, very poor. This is surprising, especially considering the level of awareness the agency has worked hard to create.

"Despite intensified sensitization efforts, people still failed to observe the designated sanitation period. We are once again appealing to the people of Plateau State—please, sanitation is very important in any society. We urge everyone to obey the sanitation law. Let us all come out and keep our environment clean.

"We do not take pleasure in fining people, but when individuals refuse to comply with sanitation regulations, we will have no choice but to enforce the law.

"We are also calling on residents of Jos North and Jos South to take sanitation seriously. Every last Saturday of the month, let us join hands and clean our surroundings. If we value sanitation, it will improve our health. That’s the only way we can maintain this small city.

Director of enforcement also said,onlookers who refuse to participate in the exercise and instead just stand by watching others, from now on, "we will start enforcing the law on them as well. If we find anyone loitering without contributing to the sanitation effort, they will be arrested and fined."

Director General PEPSA, Samuel Dapiya represented by the director of administration Izang Pate who rate the sanitation exercise 70 to 80 percent compliance admit that much is need to be done.

"However, sometimes when we talk about sanitation, people think the government is simply forcing them to stay at home or waste time. That’s not the goal. The idea is for people to remain at home and use that time to clean their surroundings. It's all for our collective good."

On modalities to improve future sanitation exercises, Pate acknowledged that a lot depends on the timely involvement of the security agencies, magistrates, and all relevant stakeholders. "If they show up on time, everything will run smoothly. That’s how we plan to improve the next month sanitation exercise."