It’s now crime to dump refuse on highways, roadsides in Ogun

The Ogun State Government says it is criminalising the dumping of refuse on highways and all roadsides in the state.

It said it had abrogated the policy of the past administration on waste management, which encouraged people to dump refuse beside and on the roads median for onward pack and disposal by relevant authorities.

The Special Adviser to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Environment, Ola Oresanya, told newsmen last Sunday in Abeokuta that the government had changed the policy, saying it’s now an offence to dump refuse on highways and roadsides.

Oresanya also disclosed that the government had established Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA) to take care of the new policy on waste management.

“Before now, the process had been waste collection on the major roads and our people are encouraged to dump refuse on the roads and they have been picking it before now.

“We have to change the tide. The new process now is to ensure refuse collection at the door step and house-to-house wastes collection.

“We don’t allow wastes to come to the roads, that is the first step and that publicity is going on in that area,” he said.

Explaining what the OGWAMA had done since it’s establishment through an executive order, Oresanya said he had held meetings with leaders of Community Development Areas and chairmen of local government areas to ensure the roads in the state are free of refuse.

Oresanya added that, in a bid to actualise the set goals, some private sectors have been engaged to provide the services of waste management.

The Governor’s aide, however, said the state would not hesitate to deal with recalcitrants by arresting and prosecuting them.

He said; “for people that are recalcitrants, there are some people, no matter how much you encourage them, they will want to test your capacity, we have enforcement team to arrest them.

“We have local government enforcement team that goes about to arrest them and take them to court,” he said.