YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU: A program sponsored by sustainable design consult where land related matters are discussed, the program that gives the people the privilege of knowing so much about the environment issues.
The host Comfort Omolafe will be asking questions from the sponsor of the program TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele Joseph on what the current government has done since they came to power on environment matters being break down to different segments.
What is the impact of the current government on housing since they came to power?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele Joseph said the eleventh point of sustainable development goal is that everybody must have assess to adequate safe and affordable house and provision. The government that have been in power for six years now built less housing units, The only one they commissioned is the one at Irese which is just 106 units of which 40 houses were demolished this year, He said the government have done badly in this aspect. He said housing is a physical thing, what people will see, what the government did in the first year, second year to the sixth year. Nothing is done not until the sixth year when the government commissioned 106 housing units and demolished 40 houses. If we are to remove the demolished houses from the commissioned ones, we will be left with 66 housing units which is an average of 6.1 per year.
What has the government done right or wrong on landscape and beautification in the past one year?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele Joseph in his words said the government have done well in landscape issues, they opened one or two places, an urban road which the government have done reasonable kilometers. There is government presences in places like Owo, some areas in Akure while some constructions have not been completed for instance, the Ijoka road that has not been completed for the past six years. He said in the aspect of beautification, Some flowers planted for beautification has turned to trees and it disturbs people and vehicles passing through. He said the maintenance is pretty bad in urban areas, Flowers turning to trees should be cut down and trimmed in the right way.
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele further said the past government beautifies the motor parks but the current government abandoned and left it undone. He said if he were to rate the current government zero on beautification.
What have the government done right or wrong in the aspect of physical planning in the past one year?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele Joseph said in advanced countries, cities, towns are well structured and well organized. It is a collective work and deliberate effort of which such have not been seen in Ondo state. The ministry of physical planning and urban development major work is to organize the cities, towns, villages and there are qualified professionals, matured and sound mind and they did well in the last regime by turning the market into a well organized one. The urban renewal done in Nepa market is a good example of what the last regime did. He said, in the past one year the rate of which people use for assessing development permit processes is being increased by 500%. The compulsory documents one need to have to get development permit approval, documents like tax clearance and C of O.
These requirements are necessary if the economy is good but the figure of the people submitting application for development permit is reduced drastically, Only the big people apply for the development permit because they have the funds or money to pay for tax clearance and C of O. The cost of tax clearance and C of O is not less than #350000, A civil servant, an artisan, a trader, will find it difficult to pay for such a huge amount coupled the fact that one won’t get the C of O immediately if one apply for it. It takes up to six months to a year before one can get the C of O. The government should try and have a deep discussion with the professionals, the stakeholders, the bricklayers, welders and the developers, So the government must at least use the minimum wage of a civil servant i.e (what a civil servant is earning monthly) to know if they could afford the payment of tax clearance and C of O.
What have the government done so far on waste management? What are the positive and negative impact waste management incur on the people of Ondo state?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele Joseph said the issue of waste collection is getting worse by the day. He said he company the government partnered with does not have the technical know how of how to deal with waste management. The result is clear and everywhere is littered with wastes. Waste management people are refusing to pick wastes from people and the wastes begins to pile up causing harm than good to the people. He said the people will decide to dump their wastes anywhere they see fit, some people dump wastes in canals, roadsides which is very bad to them and the environment.
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele said the dumpsites are not enough and even the available ones are not well used, not well organized. He said during Agagu era, organic wastes are turned to fertilizers of which it is high in demand back then, those people who were in charge in Agagu era are still in power. He said the change of government policy killed the achievement made during Agagu era.
What advise do you have for the government on waste collection?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele said no waste generated is wasted, every wastes can be turned to money and even the organic wastes can be turned to fertilizer. The government should sit down with the experts, the stakeholders on what is to be achieved and how to go by it.
What advise do you have for the people on waste collection?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele said every neighborhood has their ways of solving the problem of security, so if they solve security issues they can provide remedy to waste collections. People can manage their wastes, separate them and turn them to money. Pet bottles should be changed to money, scrap metals too can bring money to the people doorstep, The environment will be neat and beautiful for people to live in if they can manage their wastes.
What are the plans for the program Your neighborhood and you in the coming months?
TPL Ogunseyi Ayodele said what he needs to do is to meet with the leaders he invited that are refusing to answer and ask the leaders what they have in stock for them. He also said they needed to back their every words on the programs they have done with actions, getting involved matters to solve the problems of the society.
He also thanked the people who have started the program with them, those that have been supportive to the effectiveness of the program, he equally thanked Nigerian institute of town planners(NITP), Nigerian institute of surveyors and some government officials who have been of help to the program. He said in the coming months, years, people will be well informed about everything concerning their environment.