>
The Oyo State House of Assembly member representing Egbeda State Constituency, Hon. Olasunkanmi Babalola has called on the state executive to launch sensitization campaigns and stronger punishments for environmental offenders in the state.
The lawmaker who is also the Deputy Majority Leader of the House made the call on Tuesday on the floor of the House during deliberations on a motion raised on need to urgently dredge and clear the waterways of rivers and streams in some areas in the state.
According to Olasunkanmi, the indiscriminate dumping of refuse into rivers and waterways inhibits free flow of water, causing floods and leading to destructions of lives and properties.
“The previous state government and Minisry of Environment and Water Resources made arrangements to dredge 64 streams and blocked drainages across the state as part of efforts to prevent flooding but it is rather disheartening that many people have turned the waterways into dumping sites.
“The people usually perpetuate the heinous act at nights to evade arrest, and these heaps of refuse that are dumped on waterways pose great dangers to lives and properties due to eventual flooding.
“Such affected areas in my constituency include Olodo, Oki, Idi-Obi, Gbaremu-Ogbere, Oloba axis, Olode Amuro, Amosun and Isebo areas where annual disasters occur due to indiscriminate dumping of refuse in waterways.
“I urge the government and relevant agencies to provide adequate drainage systems, insurance facilities, weather forecast and timely and precise flood early warning mechanism to reduce vulnerabilities to flood disasters and enhancement of livelihood in the state.
The Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin directed the motion to appropriate committee to look into it.