By Adeola Badru

GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, in his bid to ensure a hygienic environment, has set up a new environmental task force with a view to curbing environmental nuisance and indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the state.

This was disclosed on Monday, by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Dr Bashir Bello at a press briefing held at the Governor’s Office Agodi, Ibadan.

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Dr. Bello revealed that the task force committee has membership is drawn from various stakeholders, an association of market men and women, artisans, youths, Nigeria Medical Association, Nigeria Bar Association and International Federation of Women Lawyers, representatives of the Christian Association of Nigeria and Muslim wing.

Wile he disclosed that the task force would be chaired by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Francis Ojomo, the permanent secretary stated: “My assignment here today is to introduce to you our critical partners in this business of ensuring that our people have attitudinal change towards the way we maintain our environment.”

Speaking further, Bello said: “You will agree with me that virtually on a daily basis, our people abuse the environment, this has had negative effects on our health and other aspects of our lives. This task force is another step initiated by His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde towards achieving a neat and decent environment and very soon, we will launch a new solid waste architecture, but this is just a step towards it, it is an OPERATION ZERO TOLERANCE FOR FILTH and we are starting the mobilization today.”

The permanent secretary, however, said culprits would be arrested day and night, stressing: “The essence is not punitive, we are not interested in sending people to prison or fining people, that’s not what informed this, it is not the principle of the foundation.”

“The essence is to ensure that we maintain a healthy population so that our people can spend less if they are to spend at all in the hospitals, we want a clean environment that is friendly and attractive to investors.”

He concluded that persuasion and strict enforcement would be adopted and however, declined comment on the amount to be paid by defaulters, saying the judgement of the court would determine the fine to be paid by such individual.

Speaking at a press conference, the chairman of the new Environmental Task Force, ACP Francis Ojomo said the need for the task force was necessitated by the manners and approach the people to have towards our environment.

“It is very important if you want to have a healthy living, this era of global warming and climate change, there is need for us be very careful the way we handle our environment, we are seeing series of disasters orchestrated by a change in the climate.”

“One of the major reasons responsible is the non-challenge attitude of our people in the cause of disposing of their waste. “So the task force has been put together to assist in the maintenance of orderliness and preservation of our environment.”

ACP Ojomo assures Governor Makinde that the task force would deliver as expected of them while appealing to the public that henceforth, everybody should be mindful of the way he or she manages waste.

He added that whoever was apprehended would be made to face the wrath of the law and there would not be room for negotiation for a soft landing.

Vanguard