For people that are resident or have businesses in Oje market adjudged as the biggest fruit market in Ibadan; stench, a median overflowing with huge sacks of waste and decomposing fruits are not an anomaly. Indeed, it is a part of that community. Even motorists that ply that route are used to taking extra care so that the water oozing from decomposing fruits onto the road doesn’t cause accidents.
Indeed, that sight is not a new thing. Indeed, it is a way of life that had ceased to bother many especially those in the vicinity that hold the belief that the best waste disposal practice is to dump it on street medians for government agencies to pack or in drainages and water ways.
And because they believe that it is basically the responsibility of government to clean up the environment, they didn’t not think it was necessary or normal to join in a cleaning exercise that took place in the market recently; as far as they were concerned, those involved in the cleaning knew why they came to do what government should do.
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And as members of the Junior Chambers International, Oluyole converged for an early morning clean up exercise as part of its advocacy to encourage people to join in the upcoming World cleanup Day, they just looked on, waiting for them to get out of their space so that they can move on with their business.
The clean up exercise is part of JCI’s effort to mobilize a global network for the World Cleanup Day coming up on September 15 when five per cent of the world’s population is expected to come together for a common purpose of creating a clean and healthy planet with individuals from more than 150 countries expected to take part in the exercise to stand up against the global thrash problem by cleaning up their communities in the biggest positive civic action the world has ever seen.
And as JCI members entered nooks and crannies in Oje market and surrounding residential areas to clean up filth and talk to the people about the essence of a cleaner environment, the community merely looked on, though they weren’t hostile, they were just not interested in whatever was going on.
This attitude reinforced the need for enlightenment and warm up cleaning exercises as called by JCI worldwide to further encourage people and enlighten them on the need to be involved in fighting for a clean and healthy environment.
The Oje market cleanup exercise is not in line with the overall mission of the JCI which is to provide development opportunities that empower young people to create a positive change but also reinforced the need to reach more people by giving them practical examples on cleaning up their communities.
2018 is the year of the biggest civic action in the world and on September 15, millions of volunteers around the globe will come together and clean up millions of tons of trash as part of activities marking the World Cleanup Day. And for the first time, Nigeria will be a part of the global movement as 20 million citizens around the globe to organize a national cleanup in all the 36 states of the federation on a single day.
The JCI members cleaned drainages and the street, shops as well as packed waste littering the area while residents watched and spoke with sectional leaders of the fruit market on the importance of maintain a clean environment and why they need to encourage their people to clean the environment. They were taught about the dangers of improper waste management and the need to prevent epidemics and flooding as a result of blocked drainages.
The 2018 Chapter President of the Oluyole JCI, Abiodun Kodaolu, stated that for the JCI, as active citizens committed to creating positive change, it isn’t natural for them to walk by thrash on the street and just ignore it, adding that for them, when they see people dispose waste through improper channels, they do not see it as a problem but an opportunity to educate and engender change.
According to Kodaolu, the exercise is not only about cleaning up waste but also to raise awareness and implement true change to achieve a clean and healthy society as the World Cleanup Day is a wakeup call for everyone in the whole world. It is an opportunity to showcase how young people can take action towards making our environment better.
“We are doing this to create awareness about the World Cleanup Day in September. We want people in Oyo state to join hands and participate in the effort to clean up the world and rid it of waste; we also want to ensure a clean market because this is where our food comes from and food products in a dirty environment is an epidemic waiting to happen. That is why we didn’t only clean up but we also sensitized them,” he stated.
and then