The Ogun State Government has urged residents of its border towns of Ojodu-Abiodun, Denro, Ishasi, Alagbole-Akute, Lambe, and Ijoko to embrace proper environmental sanitation and hygiene to fully reap the benefits of the road infrastructure newly provided for them by the Abiodun-led administration.
The Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Ola Oresanya, made the admonition when he led a combined team of the Environment crew, which consists of officials of the Ministry of Environment, Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency, OGEPA, Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA), and officials of Ifo and Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Areas, on an environmental tour of the new road infrastructure in the border towns.
Oresanya charged the residents and the Community Development Association of the towns to monitor and ensure that waste was not dumped in the drainage channels of the road and to desist from illegally channeling wastewater from their homes to the newly constructed roads.
He said, “The CDA, as the first responder, must equally prevent residents, especially those on the roadsides, from placing planks and containers on the drainage channels in the name of creating spaces for home trading, which will reduce the lifespan of the drainage channels as they will inhibit the free flow of erosion during the rainy season, as government cannot be everywhere.”
He advised residents to provide covered bins in their houses and patronize certified waste collectors assigned to their various communities for proper waste collection, and to stop patronizing waste cart pushers to avoid improper waste disposal.
The commissioner added that the setbacks of the new road would be cleaned up and beautified to add to the aesthetic beauty of the border towns, urging them to take ownership of the new infrastructure.
He admonished retailers and wholesale outlets to avoid noise pollution, which would have negative consequences on the well-being of residents.
Reacting, the Chairmen of Ifo and Ado-Odo/Ota Local Governments, Idris Olalekan Kusimo and Wasiu Lawal, respectively, who were part of the combined Environment Team, promised to continue to enforce environmental laws in their local councils and promote environmental safety and hygiene.
Earlier, the Chairman of Ifo Community Development Committee, Akangbe Olatunde, thanked the State Government for bringing relief to the residents of the border towns through the massive road infrastructure, pledging to embark on a massive environmental awareness campaign to protect the infrastructure from environmental hazards.
