Ogun to embark on erosion control

The Ogun State Ministry of Environment has  said that it will put in place more mechanisms to guide against erosion and ensure gully erosion control to prevent loss of life and property.

The commissioner in charge of the ministry, Mr. Bolaji Oyeleye, said this while taking his turn to defend the ministry’s budget before members of the state House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation, led by the Deputy Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo.

Oyeleye said the ministry had proposed a total budget of N2.1 billion for the fiscal year; stressing that the ministry was set to dredge rivers/stream course in some areas across the state in order to adopt global best practices in environmental management.

He disclosed that the ministry would procure additional 12 compactor trucks, 18 push mowers and four tip loaders for effective evacuation of refuse across the state.

Giving the budget breakdown, the commissioner said N1.5 billion was set aside for capital projects, while the remaining N605 million was earmarked for recurrent expenditure while the  revenue target was put at N200 million for the period.

Meanwhile, the State Environmental Protection Agency has promised that it would intensify efforts towards the collection of municipal waste and the adoption of proactive measures for sound environmental management.

The Senior Special Adviser to the Governor/ General Manager of the agency, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Kuti,  said this while taking her turn to defend her agency’s 2017 budget before members of the state House of Assembly during the ongoing budget defence before the House of Assembly Committee on Finance and Appropriation.

Kuti in her submission, maintained that the agency would continue to adopt global best practices in environmental management with a team of qualified and committed workforce, who would in turn improve capacity for the monitoring of pollution sources in 2017.

She explained that machineries would be set in motion to increase compliance from 45 per cent to 80 per cent within three years to reduce pollution level across the state.