The Oyo state government, through the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources’ Task Force, has arrested 27 people on Thursday for flouting environmental laws during the weekly sanitation exercise.
Akedeoyo.com confirmed that the arrest was made along Bodija, Sango-Eleyele and Orogun axis of Ibadan on Thursday.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Abdul-Lateef Idowu Oyeleke disclosed that the government has done a lot to sensitise the public of the need to take care of their environment. He added that concerted efffort is ongoing on the media outlets as well as regular meetings with stakeholders on the same purpose.
Mr. Oyeleke further pleaded for the support of business owners, traders and the general public towards the prosecution of environmental sanitation offenders as a way of ensuring compliance with the law.
Speaking at a scene of enforcement, the Chairman, task force committee on Environment, ASP Francis Ojomo accompanied by the Director of Environmental Health Services and other Environmental health officers, revealed that despite all efforts of the State government in putting necessary policies towards ensuring safe, healthy environment, some defiant People would not still desist from dumping waste on road medians, waterways and roadsides.
“The problem is not about the availability of appropriate places to dump refuse, the State gas provided those places and containers to pack waste, the problem is about people willfully flouting the laws and we are not going to stop applying the law whenever we catch such people.
“So much sensitization efforts have gone into changing attitudes for a better environment, there are many radio jingles and television playlets to achieve this and they are still ongoing, enforcement is the final level and we shall not joke with it.”
