Kwara vows govt to enforce environmental laws with mobile courts
The Kwara State Government has announced a decisive approach to environmental law violations, with mobile courts set to commence operations at Ilorin Central Market (Oja Oba).
This move aims to address issues such as indiscriminate waste dumping and illegal trading.
The state Commissioner for Environment Hajia Nafisat Musa Buge made this known over the weekend during a meeting with the Ministry of Environment’s management and staff at the GRA Headquarters in Ilorin, the state capital.
In a statement by the Ministry’s Press Secretary Muritala Shakirat, the Commissioner said the state government will reactivate Mobile Courts with immediate effect to ensure that people who violate environmental laws, by dumping refuse indiscriminately, breaching the road rules by trading at illegal locations like walkways, road medians, and main roads shall be brought to book.
Buge further explained that the mobile courts will be positioned at key locations throughout the metropolis, particularly in the bustling Ilorin Central Market, to promote compliance and curb road encroachment.
“In addition, Environmental Health Officers have been detailed to join the team and work in conjunction with security agencies to apprehend violators and sanction them accordingly,” she noted, mentioning that a Magistrate would also oversee relevant cases to ensure justice is served.
Highlighting the administration’s commitment to improving the environment, Buge said that Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration has done the needful by investing resources into infrastructural rehabilitation to enhance a decent environment for us to live and earn our livelihood, while emphasizing that property owners uncertain about their land status should reach out to the Kwara State Geographic Information Service (KW-GIS) for necessary documentation.
Buge also warned the public about flood alerts issued by the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
“We urge residents to refrain from indiscriminate dumping of waste in waterways, drainage channels, and road medians to avert flooding and sustain rainfall as a divine blessing,” she urged.
