To prevent flooding, the Oyo State government will embark on mass demolition of over 1,000 illegal structures blocking waterways and causing flood across the state.
Making this disclosure was the Chief of Staff to Governor Abiola Ajimobi, Dr. Gbade Ojo, who spoke yesterday at the monthly seminar of the Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER) in Ibadan, the state capital.
The NISER project report, with the theme: Socio-Economic Implications of Urban Renewal Programmes in Southwest Nigeria: The Case of Ogun, Osun and Oyo states, was presented by a Senior Research Fellow of the institute’s Social and Governance Policy Research Department, Dr. Abubakar Oladeji.
Oladeji advised that residents be enlightened on urban renewal as well as enforcement of legislation on environmental sanitation.
Ojo said the government identified over 1,000 illegal structures blocking waterways across the state.
The governor’s aide informed the gathering that the government decided to remove them in the next few weeks to avert flooding.
He said: “Government will remove the structures. Those qualified for compensation will be compensated. But I can state categorically here that a mass demolition is coming.
“In the same vein, road expansion is also coming across the state. The government will, however, continue to step up the sensitisation and mobilisation of the public on the adverse effects of flooding with a view to checkmating the ugly trend.
“The state government is much more determined than ever before to enforce the urban renewal programmes with its current recruitment of able-bodied environmental enforcement officials. We can only advise and appeal to the public to be more prudent in their refuse disposal and environmental management.”
Source: The Nation.
