By Awyetu Asabe Hope
The Ogun State Government has ruled out the reintroduction of monthly environmental sanitation, opting instead to strengthen daily waste collection and disposal through the provision of additional equipment to the state’s waste management authority.
Governor Dapo Abiodun stated this on Sunday, during the commissioning of waste management equipment, operational vehicles and an office block in Abeokuta.
The event marked the first six months in office of the Special Adviser and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority, OGWAMA, Farouk Akintunde.
Represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, Abiodun said the state had moved beyond the practice of shutting down economic and social activities for several hours each month in the name of environmental sanitation.
He said the government had, over the past six years, promoted daily environmental sanitation across the state, making a designated monthly sanitation day unnecessary.
According to him, the government will instead procure more compactors and other waste management equipment to enable OGWAMA to collect and properly dispose of waste generated by households, commercial outlets and industrial facilities in collaboration with accredited Private Sector Participants.
“Already our people are used to daily sanitation, so instead of reintroducing monthly Environmental Exercise, we have decided to buy more Compactors and other waste management equipment for the State Waste Management Authority OGWAMA to daily collect and properly dispose of waste,” the governor said.
Abiodun said the additional equipment would improve OGWAMA’s operational capacity and address challenges associated with the former monthly sanitation regime, particularly ineffective waste collection and disposal after sanitation exercises.
He also assured residents that his administration would continue to strengthen the Ministry of Environment and its agencies, including the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency and OGWAMA, with the resources and equipment required to improve service delivery.
The governor commended residents, Community Development Associations, business owners and industry leaders for supporting the government’s efforts to maintain a clean environment.
He also praised Akintunde for his achievements during his first six months as OGWAMA managing director, expressing optimism that additional compactors and waste management equipment would further improve the authority’s operations across the state.
