The Chairman Ayobo-Ipaja Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Lukmon Agbaje, has warned residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse on major roads and public spaces.

Mr Agbaje on Wednesday read the riot act to the residents, saying environmental offenders would be arrested, sanctioned and made to pay fines and/or face community service

The chairman gave the warning while responding to a question on biomedical and environmental sanitation exercise.

According to him, the council has intensified efforts to address waste disposal challenges and ensure a cleaner environment.

He said a task force had been set up to monitor streets and apprehend violators as well as enforce compliance with environmental standards.

He stateď, “The task force has been operational for more than four weeks and has recorded progress in reducing roadside waste dumping.

“The council held stakeholder meetings with community leaders to sensitise residents on the dangers of indiscriminate refuse disposal and the importance of maintaining a clean environment.

“The administration is committed to ensuring sanitation across the council, particularly on road medians where refuse dumping is most common.

“To encourage proper waste management, the council has provided waste bags free to households because exposed refuse attracts animals who scatter waste back onto the streets.”

The chairman further said that the initiative was designed to discourage dumping and promote bagged waste collection for Private Sector Participation (PSP) evacuation.

He said that the LCDA had been engaging with private sector operators to improve waste evacuation and ensure timely collection across communities.

Mr Agbaje reiterated that any resident caught dumping refuse on public roads would either pay a fine or engage in community service.

He added that the council was working to align the penalties with local by-laws to strengthen enforcement and ensure compliance.

According to him, the government’s priority is a clean environment, stating that cleanliness improves health, aesthetics and overall community wellbeing.

He urged residents to cooperate with the task force and embrace proper waste disposal practices to sustain the progress recorded so far.

The chairman also presented a 100-day scorecard of his administration reflecting infrastructural development, improved healthcare delivery, human capital growth and expanded social welfare under the administration’s “Ijoba Irorun” (government of comfort) Agenda.

Mr Agbaje highlighted that the period under review would include the construction and rehabilitation of seven strategic roads.

He said, “Temporary palliative work using boulder stones were also executed across several wards to ease vehicular movement pending full road reconstruction.

“In the area of security, two buses were donated to the police divisional headquarters to support surveillance and improve response capacity. Power supply across communities also received attention with the installation of 10 transformers to enhance electricity stability.

“To boost education, 300 indigent students received free GCE forms and participated in council-sponsored tutorials.

“The administration also distributed school bags and exercise books to public school pupils under its back-to-school programme.”

He reaffirmed his commitment to inclusive governance, citing monthly CDC meetings, partnerships with religious and traditional leaders, and capacity-building workshops for staff as proof of a transparent and community-focused administration.

(NAN)