Ondo state Waste Management Authority wielded the big stick by sealing off a shopping mall, supermarkets and others building for unhygienic practices.
The buildings sealed include NAO Supermarkets; Olukayode shopping mall, Arowolo Bookshop, Rainbow Furniture and Salon Mega store in Akure, the state capital.
The General Manager of the Authority Mrs Ayo Adeyemo said the owners of the stores violated environmental laws and failed to comply with the laid down hygienic practices.
Adeyemo said that the buildings were sealed off by the order of the court in the ongoing aggressive sensitisation and enforcement campaign of the Authority to ensure total compliance with environmental hygiene and prevent possible outbreak of any form of disease.
She pointed out that her officials had earlier visited the affected buildings and told the owners to do the needful but failed to do so.
She said that they are the ones responsible for heaps of waste being dumped along the main roads within the state capital because they do not have adequate waste bins to keep their waste.
According to her ” the Agency would sustain the ongoing aggressive sensitisation and enforcement campaign to ensure healthier, safer and cleaner environment that would be attractive to foreign investors and everybody to live in.
She insisted that the affected buildings would not be unsealed until the owners do the needful and comply with environmental sanitation law.
Adeyemo further noted the agency would continue with the aggressive sensitisation and enforcement exercise until it is satisfied and achieve high level of environmental cleanliness within the state capital.
” Henceforth any business owner or individual found to be dumping waste along the roads and other unauthorised places would be apprehended and be taken to psychiatric hospitals for brain examination, arguing that any sane person would know how to properly dispose his or her waste.
She bemoaned a situation where some popular supermarkets selling food items in unkept and unhealthy surroundings, saying this is injurious to human health.
She advised all residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of waste in unauthorised places but procure prescribed waste-bins or risk being arrested and prosecuted.
Credit: Vanguard
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