GOVERNOR Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has moved against indiscriminate disposal of waste and erection of houses on flood plains in order to ensure an attitudinal change for better hygiene in the state.

This was made known on Tuesday by the state Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Kehinde Ayoola, at a press conference organised by the ministry to sensitise the public on the hazard of poor sanitation.

“The problem of indiscriminate waste disposal, the building of houses on flood plains, with the tendency of all the foregoing even being aggravated by the universal menace of global warming and climate change,” he said.

Ayoola announced the governor’s approval of the establishment of four environment tribunals for the enforcement of the state’s environmental laws.

The tribunals, according to him, are to ensure a clean environment for the people of the state and are to be inaugurated soon by the governor.

He mentioned that the vulnerability of the state capital, Ibadan, to the river and urban flooding is induced by the city’s topography, hence the state’s implementation of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project (IUFMP)

“It is in the light of this that the government of the day in Oyo State has expressed its unreserved commitment to the full implementation of the Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project, the State-owned flood risk mitigation project with funding and technical assistance from the World Bank,” he said.

The commissioner said the proposed channelisation of major rivers and water channels in Ibadan under the IUFMP scheme is being processed and would commence soon.

“These include river Ona, Agodi Channel, river Ogbere, Kudeti channel etc. When completed, these massive channels, which are in the mould of the popular Ogunpa channel, would boost the flood-water runoff draining capacity of the city,” he said.

He further underscored the need for the indigenes to fulfil their sides of the bargain, to actualise all listed efforts to combat poor sanitation in the state.

“Our people are required now, more than before, to clear their surrounding and street drain channels, avoid dumping waste improperly, ensure that each household keeps a dustbin and patronise government-approved waste disposal contractors, avoid floodplains, obtain building approvals from relevant statutory bodies before commencing building, among others,” Ayoola said.