Dump building materials on roads, drainages, face consequences -Oyo govt

By Stephen Gbadamosi

The Oyo State government, on Sunday, raised eyebrow over persistent construction of illegal shops and shanties and dumping of construction materials in unauthorised places.

The state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resource, Mr. Abdulmojeed Mogbonjubola, condemned the act during an official monitoring of Lagelu and Egbeda local government areas of the state.

The state Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, in a statement on Sunday, said Mogbonjubola frowned at the rate at which illegal structures sprang up in unauthorised places, saying it was alarming.

The Environment Commissioner, consequently, directed staffers of the ministry to immediately issue evacuation notices to erring owners along Carlton Gate Estate, Chief Kolapo Isola Estate through Akobo-Oju’rin and Iyana Church.

Oyelade said the directive has been carried out, as quit notices had been handed to the illegal shops and shanties owners in the areas.

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In another development, building contractors in the state have been told to, henceforth, depositing their construction tools and materials on major roads in the metropolis.

Mogbonjubola, during an official monitoring around Idi-Arere in Ibadan metropolis, was said to have discovered the persistent trend.

He was said to have observed that traffic on major roads were being distorted as a result of construction materials and equipment deposited on and blocking them (roads).

He condemned the act and expressed the state government’s disposition against “the ugly trend.”

“Government is spending huge amounts of money constructing roads and drainages. We would not fold our arms, watching the notable legacies in our environment to be eroded by nonchalant attitudes of individuals or groups, in the name of whatever construction,” he warned.

He reiterated that the state government would, henceforth, sanction culprits dumping construction equipment on metropolitan roads.

Mogbonjubola also called on building contractors, especially those in the habits of depositing sand, granite, pollutants, equipment and other materials on roads; car wash owners and others, to abide by the ministry’s regulations regarding pollution or face the wrath of the law.