OGUN ARRESTS 12 FOR ILLEGAL REFUSE DUMP

For defying several warnings by the Ogun State Government against indiscriminate dumping of refuse especially on road medians, 12 Sango/Ota residents have been arrested by officials of the State Ministry of Environment.

The Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Bolaji Oyeleye who was quoted by his Media Aide, Mr. Goke Gbadamosi, disclosed this during a monitoring exercise at Sango Ota area of the State, said the Ministry had commenced a-24hour surveillance across the State to end the menace of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on unauthorised places.

The Commissioner who was represented by the Coordinator, Environmental Sanitation Task Force (Team A), Mr. Owolabi Oduntan, said the surveillance led to the arrest of 12 residents in Sango-Ota, who would be made to face the full weight of the law to serve as deterrent to others.

He noted that some residents had penchant for dumping waste on medians but maintained that the 24 hours surveillance would be a continuous exercise, saying the State government was displeased with the resurgence of indiscriminate dumping of refuse on median strips.

Some of the residents are making the task of keeping our environment clean at all times difficult. They have refused to heed the several warnings by the Ministry. We are working round the clock and if anyone is caught in the act will be sanctioned. We hereby appeal to Local Government and Local Council Development Areas authorities to complement our efforts.”

Reacting, the arrested residents unanimously said that they were not aware of the ban on dumping of refuse on the road sides or medians, pleading that henceforth, they would not repeat the act if released, saying that they were believed that environmental sanitation officers would come with their waste compactor to clean the refuse.