RETROSPECTIVE VIEW: THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PRACTICE REGULATIONS 2016, WHAT IS THE IMPLEMENTATION SUCCESS RATE?

             Hajiya Amina J. Mohammed
          Former minister of Environment

In recognition of its role, the federal government has resuscitated the environmental health officers through sanitary inspectors who would make the enforcement of its laws possible and prevent the spread of diseases in the country.

They would contribute to general environmental management, community development through tireless efforts to contain the outbreaks of diseases thereby make great impact on the lives and health consciousness of all citizenry.

The Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed who disclosed at the public presentation National Environmental Health Practice Regulations 2016 in Abuja, said, “when sanitary inspectors do their works well, the country would join the rest of the world in eradicating small pox, plague, yaws, amongst others.

Represented by minister of state, Ibrahim Usman Jibril, she maintained, it is in the recognition of the professional roles of these sanitary officers that Sanitation Unit in the Federal Ministry of Health was transferred to the ministry of Environment on its creation in 1999.”

To minister pointed out that despite the entire service prowess recorded by the sanitary inspectors, they did not get professional status until the enactment of the Environmental Health Officers (Registration, etc), Council of Nigeria Act No.11 of 2002.

She noted, since then, we have not relented in our efforts to improve the practice of the profession to greater protection of our environment and public health. Today, we are still saddled with ear breaking figures of unending preventable diseases burden in the country.”

Her words: “The ministry is committed to provide the needed instrument to do their work effectively so as to ensure a healthy environment and hope environmental health officers, would manage and prevent diseases across the country.

Earlier, the Registrar Environmental Health Officers Registration Council of Nigeria, Mr. Dominic Abonyi who went down memory lane, said this would mount effective surveillance against environmental corruption that leads to avoidable diseases, debilitation and death in Nigeria.

Source: Guardian Newspapers (18th July 2016)