Ogun Government To Investigate Illegal Refuse Dumping

Ogun State Government has announced that it has commenced an investigation into the illegal dumping of industrial waste along the bush stretch of Long Bridge along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

It was observed that the fallow land inward Lagos has recently witnessed large dumping of industrial waste without corresponding actions from the state government. 

The government made this known through the state’s commissioner of Environment, Ola Oresanya.

Oresanya also revealed that the state would trace sources of the waste and arrest the culprits.

Oresanya noted that since 2020, the state had initiated regulatory reform on waste to check illegal and indiscriminate dumping of waste. The commissioner said industries are registered to ensure the timely collection of their waste and the safety of residents and citizens in the reform.

"Generally, we have a policy on industrial wastes and many have complied.

“The regulatory reform started in 2020. So far, we have registered more than 80 per cent of industries in the state, and their wastes are being collected as when due, but we don’t want to rule out defaulters. 

“We’ve been going out to arrest defaulters whenever we see them. The Long Bridge issue may be an exceptional case because there is a possibility for illegal collectors in Lagos to stray into border towns in Ogun State.

“I am going to investigate and trace where the waste is coming from. You can be assured that we will halt the situation and get the culprits arrested.

"We have made numerous arrests. In the last three years, we have impounded 30 vehicles and subjected them to fines, even big multinational companies have been arrested for engaging in this kind of illegality in Ogun State. 

“They were used to illegal ways of doing things, but with time, they will get used to doing the normal thing, when they see that the regulators are not relenting, they will conform.”