8Months After, Abiodun’s Govt “Yet” To Enforce Directive To “Protect Residents”

“For constituting environmental nuisance and degradations in various parts of the state, the Ogun state government has banned dredging and sand mining activities in various sites across the state with immediate effect.” Governor Dapo Abiodun administration announced on August 21, 2021.

The statement was issued on behalf of the administration of Abiodun by consultant Ola Oresanya.

“No government worth its salt will allow these few individuals because of their economic gains, put the health and well-being of the general populace in danger thorough their activities which most times are illegal,” the statement putting an immediate stop to sand mining and dredging asserted.

The checks by SocietyNow.Ng eight months after, however, revealed that the directive is far from effective.

“The sand miners and dredgers are still operating freely, even in open glare” SocietyNow.Ng gathered.

The talk about town is that operators in the spheres concerned have turned a blind eye to the directive from the Government.

And they do it openly.

One of the sites in the open pointed out to SocietyNow.Ng is right by the expressway, along the old Lagos – Abeokuta expressway.

“It is just about seven minutes drive to state capital Abeoukuta around Goshen Estate. and there other places like that” SocietyNow.Ng gathered.

SocietyNow.Ng gathered that the general perception is that there are no major signs to show the directive is being implemented, if at all.

“There are certain places that one should see the signs of implementation, the open places, and they are not there. For example at a popular site in Ifo, right by the roadside not far from the council area, it is business as usual for the sand miners.” SocietyNow.Ng learned.

If there is any implementation of the directive, it is far from effective added information revealed.

Further digs revealed that in Ota, Ogun state where the national president of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Tajudeen Ibikunle Baruwa is working on his ambition to be king, people said to be loyal to him have taken to sand dredging as a form of payment for support.

The activities that contravene the directive of Governor Abiodun are being carried out at the side of two entry points into Mosa Onjuwon, Ota, Ogun State.

“They started during the period the Government banned such activities and they have kept at it in a manner that it is doing what the Abiodun administration wants to prevent – constituting environmental nuisance and degradations and nobody is stopping them” SocietyNow.Ng gathered.

SocietyNow.Ng gathered that while the Government remains unable to enforce its own directives, residents of the affected areas fear what will become of their lots as the rain prepares to start falling.

“Residents of areas where sand mining and dredging take place usually have it rough with the rain with erosion and roads that become unpliable serving as major headaches” SoicetyNow.Ng gathered.