Kwara govt bans trading activities beyond road gutter in Ilorin

Kwara State government has adopted a new strategies for enforcing a cleaner environment and checkmate indiscriminate dumping of refuse.

The strategies were unveiled during the official inauguration of the environmental taskforce by the Kwara State Commissioner for Environment, Hajia Nafisat Musa Buge on Monday in Ilorin.

The Commissioner inaugurated a 300-man surveillance taskforce to check indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the Ilorin metropolis.

The new strategies listed to be employed by the Ministry are aimed at permanently eradicating indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the State Capital.

Buge also warned that severe punishment awaits any offender of the new directives.

In her words, “indiscriminate dumping of refuse is a general phenomenon that requires urgent attention, most especially in Ilorin metropolis. The only solution to eradicate it is to aggressively commence a rethinking of sustainable waste management by the government and sensitize the people on the dangers inherent in dumping refuse indiscriminately.”

She emphasized that members of the public must cooperate with the government and its agencies to find a lasting solution to the problem to forestall the outbreak of diseases, especially cholera, which is already ravaging some states in the country.

She said “It is illegal to dump refuse on road medians, road dividers, roundabouts, gutters, drainage channels, and waterways, adding that “anybody caught displaying wares/goods beyond the gutter on the roadside for trading activities will be penalized.

Buge added that the “Ministry will with immediate effect remove the bigger roll-roll (waste) bins from the road sides or roundabouts and take them to secure places where vehicular movements will not be impeded.

She further stated Waste bins have been placed at different collection points for onward evacuation to the final dump sites while organized consultants have also been put in place to evacuate refuse from the collection points within 24 hours.

The Commissioner warned that scavenging is no longer allowed in the metropolis and all previously registered scavengers are advised to do their business at the government dump site at Sokoto-Aiyekale off the express way.

“We have engaged 38 Commercial Waste Consultants and allocated them to different communities to collect refuse with the payment of a monthly token. Otherwise, refuse should be dumped inside the government mobile collection vans/vehicles whenever it comes to your community.

“The Ministry will provide medium sized waste collection bins for shop owners and households for proper disposal of refuse,” she stated