By UbongAbasi Ise
Having shown dedication and coordination, the Akwa Ibom State Chapter of the Ratel Movement has today executed its inaugural monthly Community Cleaning exercise in Uyo, the state capital.
This nationwide environmental initiative, formally known as the Ratel Movement Community Cleaning exercise, owes its establishment to social commentator and activist Vincent Martin Otse, widely recognized as VeryDarkBlackMan (VDM). The recurring cleanup is slated to occur on the last Saturday of every month across Nigerian states. The initiative is designed to instill a culture of civic responsibility and environmental consciousness among Nigerians, focusing particularly on the youth. The movement plans to make the cleanup a regular fixture to ensure its long-term impact on sanitation and communal hygiene.
In Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State chapter of the Ratel Movement successfully organized the cleaning exercise, uniting the participants under the theme, “Our Society is Our Responsibility.”
Speaking with The Check Nigeria, Mr. Godstime Otobo, one of the two chapter’s leaders, articulated the core motivation behind the movement’s actions, noting that Nigerian youth often “don’t really give back to the society,” emphasizing that the cleanup exercise was a small way of contributing to the nation-building.
“Cleaning up our society should be part of our culture and who we are, not just the youth. Everyone: both children and adults, should come out to clean everywhere. It is very important,” Otobo stated.
He further committed to the initiative’s consistency, confirming the future schedule: “This is going to happen every last Saturday of the month. That’s why I said it is going to be like part of our culture to clean our environment.”
Praise John, a popular social influencer and co-leader of the movement in Akwa Ibom State, echoed the sentiment of patriotic duty, declaring, “It is all about keeping the nation clean and being a patriotic citizen, so I am in for it, and I love to involve in things like this that benefits the society.”
When addressing the challenges of organizing a large-scale volunteer effort, John acknowledged the hurdles in mobilizing community support: “People need to trust you and it takes a lot to gather people actually. It is a bit challenging but regardless we move.” She also confirmed that the movement took necessary administrative steps to obtain approval from appropriate authority.
The Ratel Movement is now looking forward to its next Community Cleaning exercise and is actively encouraging wider participation. Praise John concluded with a rallying call: “I just want to encourage the youths to join us in our next movement to keep the nation clean.”
