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 as from Thursday, September 6, 2018 as it gears up to introduce the Ibadan City Master Plan.
The government 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.
The State Commissioner for Environment and Water resources, Chief Isaac Ishola said that adequate sensitization and enlightenment have been carried out to stop street trading, poor sanitation habits, illegal motor parks and the destitute saying 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.
Chief Ishola 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 of environmental sanitation, no street trading and illegal parking, land grabbing and physical planning laws in the state, saying 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 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.
According to him, “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.”
