By Arowona Abdulazeez, Ilorin
The Kwara State Government says it will intensify efforts in curbing illegal and indicriminate dumping of refuse and maintainance of adequate waste management to avert epidemic across the state.
The State Commissioner for Environment, Hon Abosede Olaitan Buraimoh gave this indication during an interface with the Kwara State Commercial Waste Contractors Association at the Ministry’s headquarters on Wednesday.
She said the meeting called for prompt steps to proffer a lasting solutions to the lackadaisical attitude of the people dumping waste indiscriminately.
” The first contact everyone has is the environment. If the environment is dirty, then we are in trouble, but if the environment is clean then we have a healthy living because a healthy man is a wealthy man” she added.
As part of the measures put in place to monitor the activities of the waste contractors, the Commissioner said a register is opened at the dumpsite to monitor the movement of how they evacuate wastes and where they dump such.
Hon. Buraimoh commended the present administration under the leadership of Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq for sparing no effort in creating an enabling environment and intensifying effort to avert the outbreak of diseases across the state.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Pastor Abraham Kola Ojo said the call for the second interface is aimed at achieving a better and clean environment for the people of the state, as all issues be discussed with objectivity on how best to tackle the menace in the state.
In his address, Chairman, Enforcement Committee on Environment, (Rtd) Air Vice Marshal Ishaq Balogun said the enforcement team was created to monitor and complement the work of the waste contactors and set a standard which should be adhered to or get sanctioned.
The chairman frowned at the acts of laziness and unseriousness by some waste contactors in collecting refuse and disposing appropriately at the dumpsite.
“Don’t deceive us that you are collecting the waste you are not collecting. When you evacuate, don’t dump in the wrong place, because if you are caught doing this you will be sanctioned.” He said.
He, however, urged them to be diligent and keep to agreement in playing their part and discharging their responsibilities effectively and efficiently for the betterment of the state.
In his own contribution, Alhaji Jiddah AbdulRasaq, suggested some proactive measures to be taken such as compelling the public to patronize the commercial waste contractors; making it a point of duty that all shop owners have their waste bins ; employment of more health sanitary officers and putting them to duty.
He also suggested that the weekly market sanitation exercise should be made compulsory; cleaning of drainages by shop owners and that motor parks environment be hygienically maintained among other measures.
Responding on behalf of the association,the Secetary, Mr Valentine Gbolahan promised to comply with all directives laid down by the ministry for job effectiveness.
He, however, suggested some solutions which need prompt attention- such as adequate enforcement, government empowerment, house zoning,recycling of the waste generated, sensitization and enlightenment programmes among others.
