Oyo govt read riot acts, gives waste consultants till September to improve service
BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
The Oyo State government has warned waste management consultants across the state to improve their performance or face sanctions, including the redistribution of their operational areas and possible disengagement.
The state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Hon. Ademola Aderinto, gave the warning during a meeting with waste consultants at the NEWMAP Conference Hall of the ministry in Ibadan, the state capital.
Aderinto said the state government would commence full enforcement of its house-to-house waste collection policy from September 1, stressing that only consultants with the capacity and commitment to deliver efficient services would remain in the system.
He warned that consultants who failed to meet performance expectations would have additional operators deployed to their areas, while persistent poor performance could lead to their removal.
He added that Governor Seyi Makinde remained committed to leaving a lasting legacy of environmental sustainability, warning that the government would not hesitate to take necessary actions against any operator whose poor performance undermined the state’s environmental sanitation goals.
He further urged members of the public to cooperate with the state’s waste management architecture by ensuring that they register with verified, assigned and legally-recognised waste contractors operating within their areas.
The commissioner also advised residents to desist from engaging illegal waste operators who go around dumping refuse at non-designated locations, noting that such practices create environmental disorder, make proper waste management difficult and portray the state in a negative light before the rest of the world.
He urged residents who currently do not have a waste collector or an assigned waste contractor to contact the general manager of the Oyo State Waste Management Authority on 08067945877 or the Director of Environmental Health Services of the ministry on 08062250237 for appropriate guidance and assistance.
Recall that the commissioner had, earlier, during a press briefing with journalists at his office, announced that effective from September 1, the ministry would commence house-to-house enforcement of waste management evacuation receipts across the state.
The meeting with waste consultants, therefore, serves as a follow-up to that engagement with journalists, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure effective, sustainable and orderly waste management across Oyo State.
Present at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, Dr. Sunday Ojelabi; the General Manager, Oyo State Waste Management Authority (OYOWMA), Engr. Afolabi Akeem Adewale; directors of the ministry, and waste management consultants, among others.
