Heaps of refuse take over Ibadan roads

Oseheye OKWUOFU, Ibadan

THE Oyo State government has read the riot act to residents found in the habit of dumping refuse on road median and every part of the city, which has worsened the environmental condition of Ibadan in the past few days.

Almost everywhere part of the city is littered with heaps of refuse, especially on road medians.

At the two dump sites in the city, The Nation gathered that two bulldozers, donated by a company, Zard Holdings Limited were still working on the sites, assisting in clearing heaps of refuse dumps in different parts of the city.

Worried by the ugly trend, the government yesterday announced that it has hence forth outlawed dumping of refuse on road medians, and that anybody caught in the habit, would be charged with an offense punishable under the law.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Hon. Kehinde Ayoola said this yesterday while speaking with The Nation on the state of filth in the city and environs.

He said government has established four environment tribunals that will handle offenders, adding that the tribunals would be sitting everyday to sanction anyone found dumping refuse indiscriminately.

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On Tuesday morning, the Executive Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde, Deputy governor Rauf Olaniyan, Chief of Staff Bisi Ilaka with other members of the State Executive Council and  top government officials were on the roads to launch Operation Keep Oyo Clean, aimed at eliminating the backlog of refuse and wastes been dumped across several locations in Ibadan metropolis and other parts of the state.

Expressing the determination to rid the state of filth, the Commissioner for Environment disclosed that the government has mobilised many of trucks to clear heaps of refuse littering the entire city.

“As I am speaking with you know, they are on the field working both day and night. They work through the night, till the early hours of the morning. We have two bulldozers working at the two dump sites.  One at Apete, and one at Ajakanga. Yes, the bulldozers were donated by Dr. Raymond Zard of the Zard Holdings Limited. And we are indeed grateful to him, “he said.