Stop exposing waste, Ogun warns residents

Ogun State Waste Management Authority has appealed to residents of the state who are still exposing their waste to start containerising them saying that such healthy habits help to curb the spread of communicable diseases like cholera among others.

This appeal, the state government said becomes necessary to tackle the outbreak of Cholera in the state.

The government has equally threatened to arrest residents found flouting the order to stop leaving their waste exposed.

The Managing Director of OGWAMA, Abayomi Hunye made the appeal while inspecting the ongoing rehabilitation work at the Kurata Dumpsite in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government area of the state.

Hunye, according to a statement, on Sunday, said that containerizing waste by the residents would make refuse collection and disposal easy while also helping to prevent contaminating the environment and of course, prevent the spread of contagious diseases.

He said “A situation where some residents expose their waste indiscriminately poses a lot of danger because when it rains these refuse will infect the underground water which when not purified will lead to water-borne infestation that will result in diseases like cholera.

“Aside from this, these wastes also find their way to rivers and wetlands which will equally affect all the wells and boreholes in those areas leading to unwanted consequences”.

Hunye therefore called on those living in those areas where wastes had been left open to avoid drinking wells, boreholes as well and sachet water as some of them might not be fit for human consumption this time around.

He however assured the residents that OGWAMA will continue to perform its duties of proper waste management and urged the people to make the job easier by containerizing their refuse so that PSPs in their areas can pick them up for proper disposal.

Hunye said that waste police officers are equally out to arrest those who are adamant about this appeal and directive.

“We want our people to heed this appeal in the interest of the general public so that the cholera issue can be contained as quickly as possible as everything is being done by the state government to rid our state of this disease” he concluded.