…Orders reassignment
By Eben Enasco
Oredo Local Government Council Chairman, Dr. Tom Obaseki, has suspended for 90 days the planned visitation by Environmental Health officials to facilities in the Local Government Area.
He also ordered the reassignment of officers to an intervention spot to achieve the necessary balance and performance.
Dr. Obaseki disclosed the decision on Monday, at the Secretariat during an interface with the council’s environmental health officials where he urged them to convince him they were up to speed in their duties.
He warned against flouting the directives as the council remains resolute on having a focused and effective template that will drive a decent environment even as he lamented how unkept the council has become with a series of petitions from corporate citizens over improper waste disposal across the state.
Dr. Obaseki linked the slow progress made in the use of waste bins by members of the public to a lack of early awareness, saying citizens between the ages of 30-40 hardly have any idea about the use of waste bins while growing up.
The council chairman said waste management that used to be handled by its management board has now been handed over to the council.
He explained that for easy commercial billings, an application has been developed by the council to implement a levy charged for waste removal.
While calling for the maintenance of those assigned for such responsibility presence at a designated location, the chairman tasked the environmental health officers to ensure people pay for waste removal and help waste managers kick-start a plastic redemption, periodical fumigation, and pest control.
However, the Chief Security Officer to the council, Moses Nkombe identified seven flash points including Mission Road, Forestry, Sapele Road, Airport Road, Sakpoba, Akpakpava, and Oba market by Ibiwe, where evacuation waste bins are expected to be emptied daily.
On his part, the Commissioner for Environment and Sustainability, Hon. Joshua Omokhodion lauded the council chairman for the bold steps.
He said the environmental sanitation job is a thankless Job and very homogeneous, calling for a proper judicial system to enforce and criminalize littering
He pledged the government’s support in the provisions of materials to carry out proper sensitization, just as he appealed for the synergy between the council and the ministries describing the government as an ecosystem.
On security cover, he emphasized that there should be a collaborative effort between various operatives
Meanwhile, an operative of the Public Work Volunteer, PUWOV, who Spoke on behalf of the scheme said there is a need for synergy between the security operatives to carry out enforcement.
There was a consensus reached that waste bins should be provided and operatives should be used to enforce the existing laws prohibiting improper waste disposal.
Also speaking was the head of the Department the Environmental Health Officials, Blessing Ehigiator raised issues that border on conflict of interest on sanitation operations.
She explained that the three-line ministry that handles sanitation including, the Council, Environment, and Health officials, must find a way to address the grey areas to allow operational duties to flow without clogs.
