– Adejola Adeyemi Crown
The Ogun State Government has cautioned residents against the growing practice of dumping refuse in drainages, markets and other unauthorized places, saying offenders now risk heavy fines or imprisonment under the state’s waste management laws.
The warning was issued on Monday by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Waste Management, Hon. Abayomi Hunye, who said the government had observed a disturbing rise in indiscriminate waste disposal across several markets in recent weeks.
He noted that the habit was polluting the environment and creating unhealthy conditions capable of endangering public health.
Hunye reminded the public of the provisions of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority Law of 2020, which clearly spells out penalties for such violations.
According to him, Section 34(1) of the law states that any individual who violates its provisions commits an offence and must pay a penalty of twenty five thousand naira to the Authority on arrest.
Section 34(1) of the law stipulates: “Any person who contravenes any of the provisions of this law commits an offence and on arrest shall pay a penalty of twenty-five thousand (N25,000) to the Authority. Failure upon which on conviction by a court, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of two million naira (N2,000,000) or three months imprisoned or both.”
He added that failure to pay attracts harsher consequences. The section further reads, “Failure upon which on conviction by a court, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of two million naira or three months imprisoned or both.”
He stressed that the state would no longer overlook the growing disregard for proper waste disposal channels.
In his words, “The Ogun State Government can no longer tolerate the pernicious practice of dumping waste indiscriminately.”
Hunye explained that all government approved markets have designated dump points and containers for refuse disposal, yet many traders still choose to dump waste wherever they please. He said this conduct violates existing laws and puts the entire public at risk.
“There’s a law against this and henceforth, the State Government will not hesitate to implement the provisions and bring sanity to the state,” he added.
The government assured that enforcement teams will intensify monitoring across markets and communities to ensure compliance, urging residents to adopt responsible waste disposal habits for the safety and wellbeing of the state.
