From Dele Ogunyemi, Ibadan
Oyo state Government is set to embark on mass demolition of over 1,000 illegal structures identified to be blocking waterways and in the process causing flooding across the state, the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Dr. Gbade Ojo has disclosed.
He made the revelation on Tuesday while presiding over the monthly seminar series of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research (NISER), Ibadan.
The NISER project report themed “Socio-Economic Implications of Urban renewal Programmes in South West Nigeria: the Case of Ogun, Osun and Oyo States” was presented by a Senior Research Fellow from the Institute’s Social and Governance Policy Research Department, Dr. Abubakar Oladeji who canvassed for proper education and enlightenment of people on issues of urban renewal as well as enforcement of legislations on environmental sanitation.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor of Oyo State, Dr. Gbade Ojo, while noting that Government had already identified over 1,000 illegal structures blocking waterways in different parts of the State informed the gathering that policy decision had since been taken by the Government to remove all of them in the next couple of weeks to avert flooding.
He declared: “Government will remove the structures. Those qualified for compensation will be compensated. But I can state categorically here that mass demolition is coming. In the same vein, road expansion is also coming across the State. The Government will however continue to step of its sensitization and mobilization of the public on the adverse effects of flooding with a view to checkmating the ugly trend.”
Speaking further, Dr. Gbade Ojo emphasized that the State Government was much more determined than ever before to enforce the urban renewal programmes with its on-going recruitment of able-bodied Environmental enforcement officials while advising members of the public to be more prudent in their refuse disposal and environmental management.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Director-General of NISER, Dr. Folarin Gbadebo Smith had explained the rationale behind the seminar series which he said was part of the programmes to raise the image of NISER to international standard and re-invigorate the Institute to actualize its mandate of serving as Nigeria’s think tank.