The Ogun State Government says it is not contemplating reintroducing the Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise in the state, but will instead invest more in waste management equipment to achieve a cleaner, healthier, and safer environment.

The State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, stated this when he commissioned waste management equipment, operational vehicles and an office block to mark the six-month tenure of the incumbent Special Adviser and Managing Director of the Ogun State Waste Management Authority OGWAMA Hon Farouk Adeniyi Akintunde, in Abeokuta.

Represented by the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Ola Oresanya, Governor Abiodun said Ogun State has, for the past six years, grown beyond the monthly sanitation exercise. He said every day is now Environmental Sanitation Day in the state, making it unnecessary to select a day in a month during which the state will be shut down for some hours, in the name of Sanitation Day.

He said, “Already our people are used to daily sanitation, so instead of re- introducing monthly Environmental Exercise, we have decided to buy more Compactors and other waste management equipment for the State Waste Management Authority OGWAMA to daily collect and properly dispose of waste generated by households, commercial outlets and industrial facilities in conjunction with accredited PSPs across the state.

“In fact, the state government will soon take delivery of these Compactors and other waste equipment to further strengthen OGWAMA, thereby affirming the state government’s determination of not going back to the old ways when Environmental Sanitation Exercise are done once in a month with its problems of ineffective collection and disposal even hours after the end of the exercise.”

Governor Abiodun therefore used the opportunity to commend residents of the state, Community Development Associations CDAs, Owners of Commercial Outlets and captains of industry for their cooperation so far with the state government in keeping the state clean. He assured residents that his administration will continue to empower and equip the Ministry of Environment and its Agencies- the Ogun State Environmental Protection Agency OGEPA and the Ogun State Waste Management Authority (OGWAMA)- for better service delivery statewide.

The governor also commended the Special Adviser and Managing Director of OGWAMA, Hon Farouk Adeniyi Akintunde, for his giant strides in office despite limited resources. He added that Hon. Akintunde has shown that, with the provision of more Compactors and other waste management equipment, he would take OGWAMA to greater heights.