The Director of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) has underscored the need for citizens, especially public officials, to get involve in promoting sanitation and hygiene to help prevent the outbreak and spread of deadly diseases and sicknesses in their respective communities.
The EPS is an elite security agency of the Liberian government, providing protection for the President, Vice President, First Family, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and others deem necessary by the President.
Mr. Roberts said government along cannot do all and as such, public officials should ensure that their surroundings and communities are clean and healthy to prevent the outbreak of air and water borne diseases in their areas.
He made these assertions when he spearheaded and supported a massive cleaning up exercise in the Thinker's Village Community in Paynesville, outside Monrovia over the weekend.The campaign was carried out in partnership with the Paynesville City Corporation (PCC).
He stated that various city corporations across the country remain faced with numerous challenges, but public officials should embrace volunteerism by leaving their comfort zones androlling up their sleeves to promote good sanitation through garbage collection.
"This initiative is obvious; you can't live somewhere and see a pile of dirt and you can't do anything about it. The City Corporation or government cannot do all; somebody has to help or do something. And so, I am here under the rain to help and motivate my neighbors to clean our environment and community."
Mr. Roberts emphasized that though many public officials may be in the position to transport their garbage or waste faraway places or hire someone to do so, they should also be concerned about their neighbors who are not in the position to do so.
He further warned against the politicizing of garbage collection in Liberia.
"The PCC has its own constraints and I understand that. Some of them are very political, but that's not my thing. My take is, let's do what we can do and this is what we are doing. Promoting good sanitation and hygiene is not a one person's thing; it's everybody's business."
"You said it is not a normal routine for public officials to clean and collect garbage. I think it should be a normal routine. If you see something is happening in your community, get involve because you are part of the community. Whether you get involve or not, anything happens, you too will either be affected positively or negatively. That's my call to my colleagues out there."
Less fortunate youths dumping
Speaking further, Director Roberts observed that the dumping of garbage in areas that have not been designated by various city corporations is normally carried out by some less fortunate youths.
He maintained these youths would engaged households in the communities and wait for the late night hours to again dump the waste in areas that are not designated as a dumpsite.
He attributed the situation to the lack of a collection station or site in the community.
"PCC has told me that after we have cleaned up this garbage, they will put up a 'NO DUMPING' sign or if possible, they will bring a waste bin here for us to put the dirt in and they will collect it periodically. With that, I think it will limit the huge garbage that we see around. The best people to work with, when it comes to garbage collection is the PCC in collaboration with the MCC."
Mr. Roberts used the occasion to call for adequate support to be provided to the PCC to enhance its operations.
He said the corporation will effectively and efficiently carried out its assigned tasks and responsibilities when given the needed support.
He stressed that despite the challenges, citizens, regardless of status in the Liberian society, should collectively work together to keep their surroundings clean.
Director Roberts called on young people to embrace and promote volunteerism for the benefit and development of their communities and country at large.
For his part, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of the PCC, Emmanuel Gaye, indicated that the cleaning up campaign was also intended to create awareness to prevent the dumping of garbage anywhere.
He observed that the door-to-door garbage collection initiated by the PCC is not being totally adhered to by the locals.
According to him, some individuals (who he did not name) are in the constant habit of giving waste to less fortunate youths by paying a little amount to them, instead of the Community Based Enterprises (CBEs).
Mr. Gaye pointed out that CBEs normally charged between L$500 to L$1000 to collect waste from homes or other areas on a monthly basis, but occupants prefer paying little amount to these less fortunate youths to dump their garbage anywhere of their choice.
He maintained that these less fortunate youths do not have the time and energy to take garbage to various designated collection points or land fill within the city and Whein Town.
This, he pointed out, continues to impede the operations of the corporation.
Mr. Gaye stated that despite these challenges, steps are being taken by the corporation to prevent health hazard.
He disclosed that the corporation, through its Community Development Team,has been meeting with community dwellers in a bid to promote good sanitation.
He added that the corporation has also been providing training to community leaders to find a solution to the problem.
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Mr. Gaye, however, commended Director Roberts for his support to the PCC, including the provision of over 70 gallons of fuel for the collection of the garbage.
Also speaking, one Jerry Forkpa, expressed the hope that the cleaning up campaign exercise will help address the influx of mosquitoes and other crawling insects into their homes.
He described the initiative as "historic."
"This is the first ever in the history of this community for a government official to join and support us to carry out cleaning up campaign since I been here for several years now. People are using this place to dump dirt. This is why we want to applaud Mr. Trokon Roberts for encouraging us to clean our community because the mosquitoes used to give us hard time and we hope it will not continue."
He, however, called on other public officials to emanate the good example of Director Roberts by supporting and collaborating with their neighbors to give their communities a facelift.
Forkpa wants the initiative to be a normal routine in Thinker's Village.
Under the heavy downpour of rain, the cleaning up campaign initiated by Director Trokon Roberts included the clearing of alleyways, removal of garbage from swamp land, brushing, sweeping and collecting grass and waste from the streets, markets and other places.
