Waste Management is a Collaborative effort, and we have all approved sweepers across Ondo state – Ondo Waste Mgt board chair
The newly appointed chairperson of the Ondo State Waste Management Board, Hon. Mrs. Olayinka Alabi Oladapo, has urged all residents to collaborate with the government and waste management authorities in addressing the problem of waste littering in the state. She emphasized the importance of collective action to curb the growing menace and ensure a cleaner environment for everyone.
In an exclusive interview with the Chronicle Crew, Oladapo also debunked rumors suggesting that the government is paying more sweepers than are actually working. She provided accurate figures on the current manpower within the waste management system and reaffirmed her commitment to maintaining a cleaner Ondo State.
WHEN YOU CAME ON BOARD, WHAT DID YOU MEET ON GROUND?
When I came on board, I had to ask and know why we have those challenges and we discovered that in the area where the Private Sector works with us (PSP), we have some lapses and we felt at this point, we should work together as a team to make things work better because like I said, I came to meet an authority that was working and it was not as if the authority was sitting down doing nothing. They were working. What we will need at this point is for everybody to come together, join hands together, and make things better. So we came in to see that, okay, whatever we were doing before, we want to make sure it gets better. When we came in, our PSPs were working, but we are also engaging them to see in our collaboration how we can work to make things better and have a cleaner Ondo State.
OVER TIME, WE HAVE BEEN SEEING UNPACKED REFUSE LITTERED AROUND THE TOWN, ESPECIALLY THE AKURE METROPOLIS, SO WHEN YOU CAME ON BOARD, HOW HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO TACKLE IT?
From the environment, you can see that we have a cleaner Ondo State. Those refuse you are talking about are no longer there. As humans, we generate waste per second. When we have litters like that, we pack and as they are generating another one, we also move to pack.
The fact remains that the people need to know that they have a role to play in this. So, we are not talking about waste management as if it’s the duty of the Government alone. We cannot manage the waste alone as an authority; we can only do it in conjunction with the support of the people because that’s the only way we can get it done.
If you want to pack your waste, we expect that it should appear inside the waste bin or your trash bag; these are the acceptable means of packing waste or managing waste. If you leave it open, you are only inviting diseases and we don’t pray for such in Ondo State. The people should play their parts, while we play ours to get a perfect result.
THERE WAS A TIME WHEN A PRIVATE COMPANY MANAGING THESE WASTES SAID THEY HAD FULFILLED THEIR PART OF THE ASSIGNMENT AND THAT IT WAS LEFT FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO FULFILL THEIR PART. SO, WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THOSE PEOPLE? WHO IS PAYING WHO AS FAR AS WASTE MANAGEMENT IS CONCERNED IN ONDO STATE?
Like I said, it’s an issue of collaboration, no individual can do it alone. We work hand in hand.
Waste management is not a day’s job or year’s job. It’s something you stay on forever. It’s something you can’t retire from. It’s something you have to engage in 24 hours a day because when you pack the waste in the morning, by the afternoon, it will look as if you have not done anything. The only thing that can help get results is staying on it 24 hours, and for us to engage such, it shows that we need to have collaboration from everybody. It’s the business of everybody. We’re working, and we want to keep improving.
The Governor’s mind about waste management is to have a proper engagement with the people concerned so that we can have a cleaner environment.
DO WE STILL HAVE PRIVATE COMPANIES HANDLING THE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ONDO STATE?
Yes, they are on the ground, and they’re working.
DO YOU HAVE A GOOD OR ROBUST RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM?
Yes, we have a robust relationship with them because if we don’t have one, they can’t keep working. They’re still working now. However, we won’t say there are no challenges. Whatever challenges we are facing, we are surmounting.
WHAT ABOUT THE SWEEPERS WE HAVE IN ONDO STATE? WHAT WE HEARD IS THAT THE NUMBERS OF SWEEPERS ON PAYROLL ARE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE THAT ARE WORKING. SO, WE NEED CLARITY ON THAT.
Like I said yesterday, I was out to see our people on their beats. Right from Nepa down to Ilesha Road, down to Oda Road, we have our sweepers all around just like that.
Don’t forget that we work with approvals. We don’t employ for employing sake, we employ based on the approval given.
The numbers of sweepers are 180, labourers 20, making 200 in total. They are not in Akure alone; they are across the 18 local governments.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE STILL SURFACING IN THE AREA OF WASTE MANAGEMENT IN ONDO STATE?
It’s not different from what I have said before. We just want our people to be responsive to their own responsibility in the area of presenting their waste properly because it makes our job easier. We want everyone to be alive to their responsibilities.
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