The Ondo State Government has warned that residents who continue to dump refuse indiscriminately after an ongoing public sensitisation campaign will face arrest and prosecution.
The Chairman of the Ondo State Waste Management Board, Mrs. Olayinka Alabi, gave the warning in Akure, during an environmental awareness walk exercise aimed at educating residents on proper waste disposal practices across the state.
According to her, the sensitisation became necessary following the increasing rate of indiscriminate waste disposal, particularly on road medians and other unauthorized locations.
“We want them to be aware because if you see the trend, people dump their waste indiscriminately. They have turned our road medians into waste dumps, which is not appropriate,” she said.
Oladapo explained that the government decided to embark on public enlightenment before commencing enforcement in line with the directive of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
“We have decided to enlighten them. We want them to be aware because after this time, we will go on enforcement drive,” she said.
She added that offenders would face legal consequences if they fail to comply with environmental regulations after the awareness campaign.
“When we go on enforcement drive, we will make arrests, we will do prosecution, we will jail some people if it is necessary. Before we get to that level, we should first enlighten them and speak with them,” she stated.
The chairman noted that indiscriminate dumping of refuse contributes to environmental hazards, including flooding and the spread of diseases, urging residents to embrace responsible waste management practices.
Also speaking, the General Manager of the Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Olajunbo Adekunle, said the agency’s primary responsibility is to keep the state clean through public enlightenment and efficient waste evacuation.
Adekunle described allegations of poor waste evacuation by the agency as unfounded, insisting that officials and private sector operators work daily to ensure prompt collection of refuse.
“What we are promoting is individual waste storage at homes and premises. We are not promoting communal systems except in rare cases,” he explained.
The General Manager further revealed that the government works with more than 48 Private Sector Participants (PSPs) involved in waste collection and disposal across the state.
He added that efforts are underway to attract investors who can convert waste into useful products such as energy and organic fertiliser.
Meanwhile, a market leader at Akure Neighbourhood, Mrs. Adebiyi Beatrice, lamented that some residents still dump refuse around the market at night when traders are away.
“Most times we wake up to see dirt all over the market area. We observed that some people dump refuse there while we are asleep, but we have put measures in place by informing local vigilantes to look out for them,” she said.