The ‘mint-fresh’ Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources in Oyo State, Hon Kehinde Ayoola, over the weekend, toured some parts of Ibadan, the capital city of the state.
His submissions are eye-opening. Have a nice time reading what this highly trained and creative environmentalist noticed. Enjoy…
I drove round some parts of Ibadan on Saturday and truth be told, I noticed what I never noticed before. Maybe I didn’t look hard enough hitherto but as Commissioner for the Environment, I saw things.
Bottomline: Ibadan is dirty.
People dump refuse indiscriminately.
Some people pack refuse in polythene bags, drive to work and throw it anywhere along the road.
The Ogunpa channel at Molete just after the bridge as you face the Bottom of Arẹrẹ is being clogged with waste already.
The thick bush and refuse dumped carelessly along the median of the Ọ̀jọ́ọ̀ – Toll Gate stretch of the Ibadan – Lagos Expressway is an eyesore. This road is gateway to Ibadan from Lagos and the North of Nigeria. Any first time visitor will have his/her eyes/nostrils assaulted by the sight and smell of the carelessly dumped refuse and the flourishing bush.
It is depressing to the mind.
Being a Federal road, I have been in contact with the Federal Controller of Works/Highways on how we can clear up that place. I’ll meet him later this week.
I have a meeting scheduled today with those charged with the management of waste in Oyo State.
The overall aim of the Governor Seyi Makinde administration is not just to clear waste from our homes, offices, drainage and highways, but to turn these so-called wastes to wealth. (I say “so-called” bcos ecologists and environmentalists do not believe anything is waste anymore in so far as it could still be put to some productive use)
We have to clear the unsightly refuse ASAP.
Earlier on Friday, I held meetings with Heads of different departments and the meetings continue today.
I have set my plans out because some of our people want to see me and some complain that they don’t get me on the phone.
I am sincerely sorry as the work you have asked us to do consumes our time.
We shall do our best to give Oyo State a sustainable environment, God willing.
Waste management alone is not all there is to Environmental Management. There are still many other aspects to the work of the Ministry. We shall make sure we attend to all the other departments too.
Omi Tuntun tí ru, finally.
Packaged by Olayinka Agboola
