With the raining season now with us,the Ogun State government has warned residents of the state against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on drainage channels , waterways and roadsides across the state or face severe sanctions.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment,Mr Ola Oresanya who handed down the warning while monitoring the monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in Ifo Local Government Area of the state said the warning became necessary because of the environmental impact refuse dumping have on the overall well-being of the populace saying that the state government will not fold its hands and watch few recaltriant individuals put the life of the larger society at risk because of their bad habit.
He therefore warned them to either conform with the state environmental laws or face jail terms as the present community service punishment will soon be reviewed .
“A situation where these few people have turned our roadsides to their dumpsites despite several appeal for them to embrace the new normal of wastes management will not be allowed”
“This government has done so much in waste management reforms for her to allow this bad habit from these few to wash off the gains of the reforms”
‘Ogun state residents are clean people,so this few must ship in or face sanctions”
According to him, dumping of refuse in these public places aside from its moral issues also wash off road infrastructure which is of great concern to the government.
“Instead of using its scarce resources on other infrastructures, government will be forced to reconstruct the damaged roads”
Oresanya added that the health implications of the bad habit is so enormous that government is determined to stop it.
He did not forget to emphasis on flooding that dumping of refuse cause and called on those still indulging in the bad habit to subscribe to the waste management reforms of the state government by patronizing Waste Private Sector Participants PSP assigned to their area for proper collection and disposal of their wastes.
Oresanya however commended residents who have keyed into the reforms saying they will be remembered for their roles in keeping the state clean,safe and healthy.
