The Oyo state government on Thursday demolished five shops and a relaxation centre in Ibadan for violating the state environmental and building regulation laws.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a petrol filling station located at Orita Challenge area of the city was also sealed for failure of the station’s workers to observe the weekly sanitation exercise.
The State Environmental Officers that carried out the demolition and sealing stated that the filling station accommodated a filthy drainage lane which exposed residents in the area to health hazards.
Mr Moshood Adeola, the Director of Engineering and Beautification, Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, who led the enforcement team, said that government was compelled to partially demolish the structures as a warning.
Adeola said owners of the affected structures had been served series of notices which they failed to comply with and that government would continue enforce its environmental laws.
”The disobedience of the shop owners to vacate the premises, being a setback for the road, in spite of the notices served on them for more than six months to vacate the premises, led to this demolition.
”In spite of the effort of the state government in maintaining a suitable and sustainable environment for all and sundry, some people still go against environmental laws.
”But this administration will not renounce its stance of zero tolerance for environmental disorderliness and as soon as the state Mobile Court is established, anyone caught violating the environmental laws or causing environmental nuisance will be arraigned accordingly,” he stated.
Adeola, therefore, admonished erring residents to desist from violating environmental law and regulations to avoid incurring the wrath of the government.
