Governor Aregbesola declares 90-day environmental emergency in Osun

Dissatisfied with the burden of filthy environment, Governor Rauf Aregbesola has declared a 90 Day environmental emergency in Osun State to tackle the rot in towns and villages across the 30 Local Governments. He made the declaration at a gathering marking year 2011 World Environmental Day which held in Osogbo where he declared that in line with the theme of the World Health Day, 2011, there is strong need for the state government to update the consciousness and concern of the people of Osun State to put the care for their environment to the front burner of their daily concern. This year’s ceremonies which was titled “Nature at your Service”, Governor Aregbesola submitted that human beings are the only creation of God that consciously utilized the environment and as such have contributed largely to its current deplorable state.

As a consequence of this, the governor stressed that everybody must be committed to the task of ensuring that everything was done to achieve a better environment.

The forest, he noted, plays vital role on the effect of climate change as well as security of human lives and as such, vital to the survival of people all over the world. Aregbesola stressed that his administration was committed to analyzing and finding lasting solution to environmental challenges in Osun State. His words: "We are declaring 90 day environmental Emergency in our state. Within the said period, Government will ensure that the people are encouraged to see the need to take steps aimed at improving their environment". Aregbesola challenged all residents including religious clerics, market women, motorist, artisans and civil servants of Osun State to be involved in recreating the environment so as to achieve better living standard.

According to him, students in public and private schools would be encouraged to plant a tree each and nurture them up to when the students graduate from school.

He explained that part of government plans on the environmental regeneration program included the enforcement of setback rules covering the erection of kiosks and other commercial wares on roadsides in the state. The Co-ordinator of National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency NESRA in Osun State, Mr Olanrewaju Rufus, who read a paper at the event commended Governor Aregbesola for his vision for the state, adding that NESRA was prepared to work in conjunction with the state government to ensure that citizens of the state complied with basic livelihood that would encourage good hygiene. He called on the public and private sector to see NESRA as the right partner in present environmental endeavour in Osun State saying "we are optimistic that steps being taken by the Aregbesola administration would eventually yield such enviable profit when Osun State becomes a reference point in term of good hygiene and cleanliness".