The Oyo State Government says it will not demolish buildings encroaching into the dumpsite at Awotan in Ido Local Government Area of the state.
Mr Kehinde Ayoola, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, stated this on Wednesday at a town hall meeting held in Ibadan with representatives of Awotan and Akufo communities.
Ayoola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Bashir Olanrewaju, said the decision not to demolish the buildings as a result of the magnanimity of the Seyi Makinde administration.
He urged the communities to support the new solid waste management initiative of the government in order to solve the problem of urban solid waste management in the state.
The commissioner also said the government had brought on board Macpresse West Africa Ltd, a waste management and recycling facility.
He said the company would assist the state in reducing pollution at the Awotan and Ajakanga dumpsites while also managing the state’s waste management system effectively.
The commissioner said the new solid waste management architecture would ensure proper collection, disposal, and management of waste in the state.
The Managing Director of Macpresse West Africa Ltd, Mr Idowu Salawu, said the company’s mandate was to upgrade, rehabilitate and reclaim dumpsites in the state.
He called for collective responsibility in having a smooth upscale in waste collection operations at the Awotan dumpsite, saying the site would soon be decongested.
Salawu further promised indigenous participation at the dumpsite by providing employment opportunities for residents.
He assured the state government that the company would deploy international best practices in waste management.
Speaking on behalf of the two communities, the Osi Baale Awotan-Adaba, Chief Amusa Akangbe, thanked the state government for its support and fulfillment of its promises to usher in development in the area.
