A group, EnviroNews Advocacy and Campaigns for Sustainability (ENDVOCAS), has raised concerns over the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Ibadan, particularly the turning of the multi-billion-naira Ogunpa River into a refuse dump site. The group has, therefore, called for the swift intervention of Governor Seyi Makinde.
In a petition titled “Urgent Need to Address Transformation of Ogunpa River Channelization into a Waste Dump, and Encroachment into Allowable Setbacks,” the group highlighted the dangers such practices pose to public health. The group alleged that government officials seem reluctant to take action to address the situation.
Speaking with newsmen in Ibadan, the Executive Director of EnviroNews Advocacy and Campaigns for Sustainability, Michael Simire, said that many of his interactions with government officials revealed either a lack of interest or capacity to tackle the issue.
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He noted that the group had no choice but to pursue legal action to compel authorities to fulfill their responsibilities, serve the people, and protect the environment. He disclosed that their lawyers have already begun the legal process in this regard.
According to him, the government must urgently end all illegal dumping of refuse in the Ogunpa River Channel and implement measures to ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future.
He further stated that the government must stop all encroachments on the channel’s setbacks and immediately demolish any temporary or permanent structures erected on these setbacks. He added that the owners of such properties should face appropriate consequences for their actions.
“We demand that measures be immediately put in place through a collaboration involving the Oyo State Government, the Federal Government, and the World Bank to complete the Ogunpa River Channelization project. This will ensure the project achieves its ultimate goal, and such incidents will become a thing of the past.
“We are concerned citizens. All we want is the best for our state and our country. Our goal is the betterment of the people, and the protection of both the people and the environment is non-negotiable,” he said.
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