The Oyo State government has sealed the indigenous Premier Hotel, one of the oldest hotels in West Africa, situated at Mokola hill in Ibadan for violating the environmental sanitation laws of the state.
A statement issued by the state government said that an event centre located at the Eleyele area of the city was also sealed.
Abiodun Oni, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, who led the enforcement team, reiterated that the need to seal up these facilities became necessary so as to put an end to environmental nuisance in the state.
The commissioner said he was appalled with the attitude of the management of Premier Hotel for accumulating heaps of wastes within their premises. He wondered why the management failed to co-operate with the designated authorised waste collector, despite the seven-days ultimatum given to them to evacuate their wastes.
“It is disheartening that despite efforts of this administration to provide an enabling and sustainable environment to residents, people still go ahead violating the environmental laws of the state whereas a filthy environment poses threats to individual’s lives in the state,” Mr Oni said.
“When sickness comes, it knows no boundaries.”
In the same development, over 80 shops were sealed at Sango market for non-compliance with environmental sanitation laws.
Oyo Govt. Seals Premier Hotel Pix
The violations include indiscriminate dumping of wastes on the road median, accommodating a filthy drainage at the frontage of their shops, and non-compliance with the authorised waste collector while also the event centre was sealed for patronising illegal waste collector.
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Mr Oni said the enforcement will continue to take place lest people understand the need to take care of our environment
“As citizens, proper waste disposal is a way of exercising their responsibilities as well as giving concrete support to the government as such, putting an end to the scourge of filthy environment,” he said.
The team also visited Gbaremu market and Adelabu Complex at Challenge to sensitize the traders on the importance of having a clean, safe and healthy environment while also giving them stern warning to comply with the environmental sanitation laws or else would face its wrath.