Oyo govt blows hot, kicks off environmental sanitation, physical planning enforcement

The Oyo State Government on Wednesday announced that it will commence
total enforcement of its laws on environmental sanitation, street
trading, illegal motors parks, land grabbing, urban and physical
planning, across the state.

The exercise which begins tomorrow (Thursday) is in line with the
Ibadan City Master Plan.

The Commissioner for Environment and Water resources, Chief Isaac
Ishola, who made this disclosure said that adequate sensitization and
enlightenment have been carried out to stamp out street trading, poor
sanitation habits, illegal motor parks and destitutes.

He added that street trading is an act of violating the Environmental
Sanitation Laws of the State as section 13 of the law states that no
one should engage in street trading.

Ishola said that beggars and the destitute littering the state will
also be removed from the streets, saying that most of the destitute on
the streets and under bridges have a right to survival as well as good
living either by re-uniting them with their families or handing them
over to collaborating non-governmental organisations.

He said that a 12-man task force headed by the Chief of Staff to the
Governor, Dr Gbade Ojo has been set up by the state government to
enforce and ensure compliance with the environmental sanitation, and
ensuring that there was no street trading and illegal parking, land
grabbing and physical planning laws in the state.

He stated that the government is ready to get rid of the filth,
unhygienic environment and haphazard development in the state.

The commissioner said that the state government is not interested in
creating hardship for the people but desires compliance with the
environmental sanitation and waste management laws of the state
government in fulfillment of the Ajimobi administration's desire to
build a modern Oyo State.

He enjoined traditional rulers, religious, community and market
leaders to join hands with the state government in ensuring compliance
with environmental sanitation regulations in order to ensure a
healthier, cleaner and investor-friendly environment.

Ishola said, "We want to achieve total compliance with the state
environmental laws, the cooperation of the traditional rulers,
community and market leaders cannot be over emphasized. It is
expedient to use alternative method if the current ones are not
yielding positive results. We see the issue of our environment and
sanitation as a collective responsibility, therefore, all hands must
be on deck to ensure a healthier, cleaner and investor friendly
environment."