Q: What is your greatest challenge since you assumed office as commissioner for Environment?
A: Thank you very much. Well, by the time we came on board, there was no Ministry of Environment, but the time we came in the first challenge was to create the normal structure of a ministry in place. And after that, we discovered that there are a lot of problems. In this state, the attitude of our people particularly to waste disposal has been so negative and in trying to educate our people, we give them orientation and we have been assisting where necessary. So that is the major challenge that we are having and I can refer to it as the greatest challenge because particularly in our area, the area is prone to flood and erosion as a result of abnormal waste disposal attitude of our people.
Q: The Oil Producing Communities are seriously devastated and their fishing activities are almost going into extinction ……. What are you dong to redress this situation?
A: This issue of climate change is a global issue of the climate change. As you know the coastal area of the State belongs to the Niger Delta where oil is. And what we are trying to do for now is to persuade these oil companies to make sure they come around to assist the people in their little way.
Actually, our people depend on fishing, but because of these activities that are going on there, it has become a different story entirely, our people cannot go out fishing again, the fishes are not there but whatever we feel we can do to address this situation we will do and this fishing which has been our major occupation cannot be carried out now, then we have to find an alternative for our people, let see what they can do to make a living out of what they have now.
Q: What is the fate of victims for rainstorm in the state?
A: When the government came on board last year, there have been cases of disaster. In fact, immediately we came in, there was one in Akure that affected so many houses, many roofs were blown off, and so many houses were destroyed. Recently another one happened in Akoko. And immediately it was reported we went into action, relief materials were provided and in fact we are thinking of educating our people right now. In fact the issue of rainstorm is natural disaster but we have been encouraging our people to plant trees around their houses so as to break the storm when it comes around.
Q: We discovered that a number of houses have been bulldozed and brought down particularly in Akure here. We also see such actions in some parts of Ondo. What is the justification for this?
A: Let me put it on records that we have not pulled down houses, like in Alagbaka here, there are some shanties and in an attempt to beautify our major roads, we decide to pull down these shanties and kiosk for example, if you look at these areas now the whole place is free and what we are trying to do is to green the whole area to make the whole environment beautiful but no houses have been pulled down particularly along Oba Adesida Road, all we are trying to do is to create space where we have the opportunity of beautifying the roads and streets.
Q: The Ala River in Akure is always known to overflow its bounds thereby causing a lot of problems, what are you doing to address this problem?
A: Last year when we came on board, the first problem that was tackled by my Ministry was the problem of Ala River. And I want to say that when this problem was encountered, so many people were leaving their houses, the houses were taken over by flood, but later when we came in there was nothing we could do rather than to clear the waterways and immediately we did this, that is clear, the waterways manually. In fact, I brought in people from Ilaje and Ese-Odo to carry out the clearing and the people were impressed and since that time, we have been thinking of a permanent solution. Right now, we have an amphibious excavator that is working on Ala River.
So we have opened up the whole place. And one other problem as I told you earlier is a major challenge here, the way our people dump their refuse and the waterways will be blocked and when the waterway is blocked, definitely, water will surely find its level, and in an attempt to find its level, there will be problems elsewhere. So what we are trying to do is to clear the waterways so that the water will be flowing and if there are wastes being dumped along the waterways, at least the current will move the wastes away. And we will continue to do this annually and apart from that we have presented the case of Ala River to the Presidency in Abuja; so right now we have submitted everything and we are expecting money from Abuja and as soon as we receive the money, we will give it a permanent solution. And when a permanent solution is proffered, Ala people people will be free from flood and erosion.
Q: Trade and Commerce is being hampered in the riverine communities of Ilaje and Ese-Odo as a result of the problem of water hyacinth, what are your plans to redress the situation?
A: Thank you very much. Thank God, you are also from that area too. This menace of water hyacinth has been very serious problem not only to Ondo State. Sometime last year around November and December, we carried out the clearing but I want to tell you that those places are almost blocked again, and if you look at the way the water hyacinth is multiplying, it requires constant clearing but what we are even thinking of is that we will bring machine that will do the clearing more effectively and we have sent somebody to Port Harcourt in Rivers State to study at least what they are using there. In the area of water weeds which is very common in Ilaje and Ese-odo, because there is water for them to thrive, my recommendation is that before he gets these machines, constantly we should continue to clear the waterways like the Road maintenance officers. We will employ them and train them and when they are there, at least this problem will be minimized.
A: At the recently held NDDC Stakeholders’ Forum at Igbokoda, we learnt you were to stand in for Mr. Governor but was not allowed to go into Igbokoda by some youths who barricaded the road. What is your comment on this and what are you doing to forestall this kind of ugly incidence in future?
Q: Actually, those boys did not disturb me but when I got there, they have bashed my colleagues’ official car that is Chief Tola Wewe, I saw Baba Arije, with some other government functionaries, and they did not allow them to enter Igbokoda. I immediately called the Chief of Staff to the Governor what was happening and the Governor said I should try to maintain peace though I wanted to make an arrangement to fish out those boys out of the place, I did not want to create further crisis there. I then went to the Police Station only to discover that the Commissioner of Police had already advised to put off the programme, I then got in touch with the organizer of the programme and learnt that people were are already at the venue of the programme. But after that, I went into action to investigate the cause of the problem of that day.
As I am discussing with you now, some of those boys who caused the problem that day are here in my office, I brought them from Igbokoda, I want to discuss with them. I think it is hightime we stopped this embarrassment. Apart from Ilaje and Ese-odo people that were there that day, there were some people from other places and it is an embarrassment. I want to discuss with them so that a lasting solution can be found to the problems. Actually, I do not want a reoccurrence.
Q: As the holder of the highest political office in Ilaje Local Government, do you see the Labour Party as a party that can rear its head if there is election today?
A: Actually, Yes. When you start a project you are bound to face some challenges, and as a normal human being, when you face such challenges, it is for you to find panacea to these problems. Already, Labour Party has started in Ilaje Local Government, I know for sure that as at today, we control the majority but some people may be grumbling because there is no way everybody can be satisfied at the same time, those that have not been satisfied would be taken care of, by the time we take care of everybody, people will now come down a bit. I am assuring you that if election comes up today, Labour Party will defeat all other parties.
Q: What is your message to the people of Ilaje Local Government?
A: My message for my people in Ilaje Local Government is that they should embrace peace; they should allow peace to reign in the area. I believe in dialogue if there are problems, let us discuss, rather than taking laws into our hands, and I am appealing particularly to the youths, they should not allow people to use them, we still have three years, and within these three years, everybody will be satify.
