“Oyo environmental mobile courts, “waste to wealth” project, on course”

Oyo State Government has concluded all preparations to kick off environmental mobile courts in the state.

The Head of Service, Alhaja Ololade Agboola stated this on Tuesday at an advocacy meeting  organised for stakeholders by the government to sensitise the populace on immediate solution to the menace of poor waste disposal culture pervading the state.

Agboola, who applauded the impressive attendance by stakeholders at the meeting told the people that the present administration is working to bring in as many foreign investors as possible as well as create enabling environment for local business to thrive especially in a clean environment.

She said: “This meeting is at the behest of the governor of Oyo State who has worries over the state of filth in the state and various meetings have been held with other sectors and strategic members of the society to achieve more understanding about the need for a clean environment which will engender good health and promote business.

“Soon, Oyo State Mobile Court will be in operation to dispense express justice to sanitation offenders and deter the poor attitude to waste disposal. Also, the Orita Aperin Waste to Wealth project will soon begin work to complement other efforts at imbibing good environmental culture.”

Speaking, the President of  Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes (CCII), Chief Yemi Soladoye urged the state government to start work on the Waste to Wealth project which he described as part of the  cardinal programmes of the present administration in order to reduce  to the bearest minimum, the problem of indiscriminate refuse dumping in the state.

Soladoye noted that before long, waste collectors would be paying those that generate the waste instead of collecting money from them whenever the  waste recycling project begin in the state.

He called on the government to quickly  complete the Orita Aperin recycling project, which he said has suffered abandonment for too long.

His words: “While commending the efforts of the state in its unrelenting stride to eradicate poor waste disposal culture, I need to call on our Governor to start work on the Waste to Wealth project so as to not only beautify our environment but to also create wealth for the populace and generate more revenue for government.

“I have traveled far and wide but there was a time I found it so difficult to come home to Ibadan because of the culture of filth then. Today, the story has changed and we have a clean environment which needs to be sustained.

“Imagine a time that we allocated a parcel of land for Olubadan’s palace but within short time, people turned the land to refuse dumping ground. We invited the police and they left within a week as they were frustrated.

“We need to do more advocacy and enforcement especially at all local communities while I want to reiterate the call for the commencement of the waste recycling project in Oyo State. Soon, you will see people collecting money instead of paying to dispose refuse.”