Tobi Sanusi
Residents of Zone B extraction of hallelujah Estate in Egbedore local government area of Osun state have lauded the efforts of Western Spring Television and Osun Waste Management Agency, OWMA, following the evacuation of a poultry and pig pen in the area.
Before the evacuation, residents of the area have had to grapple with the effect of hazardous stench emanating from the livestock area.
Tobi Sanusi writes.
When some residents of Hallelujah estate, Zone B area, in Egbedore local government area of Osun state reached out to Western Spring Television in March 2023, they had reached their breaking point and could no longer bear the hazardous stench in their neighborhood.
The stench, which usually envelops the highly populated area, causing residents to close their windows always, was as a result of the combination of a poultry and pig pen on a large expanse of land owned by one Dr Akintaro, a former permanent secretary at the Osun state ministry of finance.
Consequently, our correspondent, having visited the affected area, forwarded their complaints to Osun Waste Management Agency, OWMA, though one of the residents had earlier written the agency, but without feedback.
As a result, a-three month notice was issued to the poultry owner by OWMA, to evacuate, after which it was further extended to December, 2023.
OWMA's director of environmental management and sanitation, Peter Aleshinloye, had vowed in November 2023 that the agency would be forced to take legal action against Dr Akintaro if the agreement was breached.
"We agreed to that December because it's just about two months to December, and we will intensify our efforts by policing him, doing a kind of follow up," Mr Aleshinloye told our correspondent earlier in November 2023.
However, a visit to the area on January 15th, 2024, indicates that Dr Akintaro has evacuated the poultry and pig pen from the area.
Some of the residents, including Timothy Odelola and Olushola Awodele were full of gratitude to Western Spring Television and OWMA for saving their neighborhood from environmental pollution.
They say they can now have proper ventilation with their windows open.
"we appreciate Western Spring Television and Osun Waste Management Agency for their intervention into the complaint that we have been lodging for some months now in our area....we can enjoy a good atmosphere and good breathing since the odour has been evacuated from our vicinity", Mr Odelola said.
Environmental pollution is hazardous to human health and constitutes environmental degradation.
