By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Oyo State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Chief Isaac Ishola on Wednesday said the state government is to embark on house-to-house inspection of refuse bin in residential, industrial and commercial houses across the state as from Monday, January 15.
The Commissioner stated this in Ibadan while addressing a Ministerial press briefing held at the state Ministry of Information and Culture Film theatre in Ibadan.
Chief Ishola who also hinted that the state government is to be arresting street scavengers for messing up refuse dumps across the state while searching for scraps disclosed that the moves were part of efforts at ensuring strict compliance and enforcement of the state environmental laws.
“The Oyo State Environmental law stipulates that every house must have a waste bin. Every person that generates waste must dispose it in a sustainable manner and through government accredited waste collectors. We will be inspecting the houses and any house without waste bin would be sealed after a three days grace period.” he said.
According to the Commissioner, before enforcing usage of waste bin, the state government would first handed down a three day warning within which to get the bin after which failure to comply will earn such houses, commercial centres and property total seal up that would attract N200,000 fine.
The Commissioner maintained that the house-to-house inspection became imperative as a way of curbing indiscriminate refuse disposal on the street and different parts of the state, which was frustrating the efforts of the waste managers and licensed operators and particularly the state government beautification efforts.
“The state government has observed abysmal level of compliance with the state environmental laws as people now
dump refuse indiscriminately across the state.”
Chief Ishola lamented that it was unfortunate that despite all the efforts by his Ministry at sensitising the people on compliance with environmental laws particularly on appropriate waste disposal, a larger number of the residents still does not help with the manner in which they dispose off their waste, saying, 1,342 environmental law offenders were arrested and convicted across the state last year and hat has not stopped the practice of indiscriminate waste disposal totally.
Speaking further, Chief Ishola disclosed that the state also shut four churches and sanctioned three mosques on the offences of noise pollution, while 64 other cases involving worship centres, commercial places, entertainment centres and others have been amicable resolved after the affected centres were petitioned by concerned members of the public.
“Violators are liable to 6months jail term or option of N50, 000 fines. Whoever disregards the seal order on any house would pay N200,000.
About 1, 342 offenders were arrested and prosecuted in 2017, while 124 street traders were arrested with their wares. Unlike in time past, all wares seized from street trading would henceforth be confiscated as directed by the state governor.”
