Osun wears new look

Posted by: Gbenga Aderanti on May 22, 2013 in News Extra

Aregbesola consolidates clean environment policy

The traffic on Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State was unusually heavy. A group of new green trucks formed a straight line, moving at snail speed. As you tried to count, you discovered that they were too many. On the median was an excited crowd of people cheering what they saw as novel in this part of the world.

In the procession was Mouka Ray, an actor, entertaining residents of the town. He, alongside other residents, stood in the morning sun to see the new set of green painted trucks procured by the state government to add to the number of existing waste disposal trucks in the state.

As you began to wonder what the excitement was all about, you heard a voice.

“This government is very serious about the environment. These are O-Clean trucks,” someone said excitedly from the crowd.

Would you blame them for being happy? Many of them were there when their environment was rusty and neglected. The recent efforts by the government of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to create a friendly environment is paying off.

Buoyed by the success recorded with O-Clean, which the governor has described as personal and environmental cleanliness, the government took further steps to launch the new intervention project tagged O-Clean Plus.

The O-Clean Plus is an effort of the state government to make the task of cleaning the environment, not just that of government, but also of citizens. According to the Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Environment & Sanitation, Hon. Bola Ilori, the programme entails a lot initiatives like: Private Partnership in Waste Management, Tree Planting, O’ Clean Gas, O’Clean Marshal, Highway Managers, Mosquitoes Reduction Programme, Environmental Awareness & Advocacy, Nylon/Plastic Buyback Programme and Local Government Technical Committee on Waste Management, among other things.

For those who are smart enough, aside the initiative of creating employment for jobless youths, it will afford them the opportunity to make money with less sweat from the nylon buy-back project. The government is now ready to buy ‘pure water’ sachets which are not only environment-friendly but constitute a nuisance to the public.

A modern dumpsite has also been constructed with modern facilities to convert all the waste into biogas. Good enough, the bio-gas is currently being used by the governor to cook. At the launch of O-Clean Plus, the governor came out boldly to vouch for the bio-gas, saying, “it is safe and healthy”

The occasion was another opportunity for the governor to tell the people of Osun that the present government is a responsive and responsible government. He disclosed that the waste collection vehicles were bought on credit; the citizens have to pay a token to dispose their waste of so that the state would be able to pay for the trucks.

The trucks will be stationed in designated parts of the streets to collect refuse.

For those who think the project will not last, Ilori was quick to point out that the government did its home work before embarking on it. The streets were enumerated five months for easy operation of the project.

The environmental enforcement marshals were inaugurated by the governor and mandated to enforce environmental laws by arresting environmental offenders. Aregbesola did not mince words when he warned that the days of flouting environmental laws with impunity were over.

Though the launch was full of fanfare, Ilori also pointed out that the state was serious about making Osun State clean. “We have done a lot of public awareness in terms waste disposal and managements, we have also provided very many alternatives for our people to get rid of their waste properly. So anyone seen dropping refuse indiscriminately would be handled by our Oclean Marshals under the various existing laws. “

With the present arrangement, each local government will have O-Clean offices with representatives.

The occasion was also used to launch a tree planting project in the state. About 2.5 million tree seedlings of various species are ready to be given free to citizens of the state for planting. The Commissioner for Commissioner of Environment & Sanitation, Olubukola Oyawoye, who was upbeat at the launch, reiterated the commitment of her ministry to the tree-planting, saying that the ministry has zero tolerance for indiscriminate waste disposal and breaching of the state environmental laws.

All things being equal, mosquitoes are going to relocate from the state as the state government is bent on continuous aerial spraying with its helicopter. The helicopter acquired by the state had generated much controversy before the launch of O-Clean Plus. At the launch of O-Clean Plus, Ilori put paid to the controversies surrounding the purchase of the helicopter. The state has saved N4billion which would have been used in fighting mosquitoes.

“After calculating how much we would spend in hiring helicopters, we discovered that it would be more that what we would use in buying the helicopter that would do the aerial spraying of the state. With the helicopter, the governor is saving the governor is saving N4bn which would have been spent on fighting mosquito alone.”

Speaking at the occasion, 50-year-old Ramota Salami, a petty trader, was happy, especially with the way the state has been able to control the perennial flooding. She welcomed the recent N500 monthly levy on refuse collection, saying “it would go a long way in stopping from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in rivers and streams.”

Joseph Alebiosu, who recently relocated from the northern part of the country, was happy about the tree planting initiative, saying “government should sensitise people more on tree planting as tree makes environment friendly.”

Steve Adeyemi, a student in one of the secondary schools, was happy about the buying back nylon/ polythene projects, saying he would do the business to support his family. “I’m not ashamed to collect nylon in exchange for money.”

The Chief of Staff to the Edo State Governor, Hon Patrick Obayagbon; wife of the Lagos State Governor, Dame Abimbola Fashola; representative of the wife of Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Mrs Doyin Olusoga; traditional rulers, politicians, unions and associations, were around to witness the launch of O-Clean Plus.

Aside the 500 commercial motorcycle riders who came to add colour to the event, artistes like Alabi Pasuma, Saidi Balogun, Mouka Ray, Kayode Sadiq, 70- year- Alabi Ogundepo and others were around to sensitise the citizens on the need to embark of clean environment.

http://thenationonlineng.net/new/news-extra/osun-wears-new-look/

I've always nurtured this idea.

Steve Adeyemi, a student in one of the secondary schools, was happy about the buying back nylon/ polythene projects, saying he would do the business to support his family. “I’m not ashamed to collect nylon in exchange for money.”

This is a wellwcome idea, i hope government can do this in other part of economy particularly thos essetial ones like Agriculture. Gov should do buy back for agriculural produce to encourage young graduate to participate in Agrorevolution in Nigeria.

Osun is more responsible than lagos.. I'm saying this as a lagosian

sheyie2007: Osun is more responsible than lagos.. I'm saying this as a lagosian

Nope:osun state is like a blank slate on which you can paint any picture. Lagos cup is too full. the southwest governor are all doing fine without federal patronage. Imagine if there was a responsive and responsible federal government at the center.

Where are the pictures of the new look Osun State? Pictures speak a thousand words.
Showing us pictures of Dump trucks as the new look Osun State is just degrading when places like Benin City, Uyo,Calabar, Enugu and Lagos have wonderful infrastructure to display.

Not impressed.
Until they stop the campaign of sustained and indiscriminate outdoor pooing going on in Oshogbo