Refuse, Dirt Take Over Osun Roads As Residents Blame Govt (Photos, Video)
Heaps of refuse now adorn major roads across Osogbo, the Osun State capital, with residents lamenting the worsening sanitary condition and the glaring inaction of the state government despite repeated outcries.
From Estate Junction through Technical to Lead Junction, commuters and residents are greeted daily by mounds of dirt emitting stench, attracting flies and rodents, and obstructing pedestrian walkways.
A journey from Estate to technical and it’s getting worse day by day with no action taken on it
We implore the @Osun_State_Gov @AAdeleke_01 to please help take actions to keep Osogbo street back to its clean serene days https://t.co/dHsGmUFl9M pic.twitter.com/2iy3glWTAO
— leader of tomorrow (@holuraf_) April 13, 2025
In a recent video shared on X (formerly Twitter), user @holuraf_ bemoaned the steady deterioration of the environment: “A journey from Estate to Technical and it’s getting worse day by day with no action taken on it. We implore the @Osun_State_Gov @AAdeleke_01 to please help take actions to keep Osogbo street back to its clean serene days.”
Several others joined the call. @drayontop appealed directly to Governor Ademola Adeleke to permit private firms to take over waste management, saying, “Dear Gov @AAdeleke_01, please allow private companies like mine to come in and help our waste management problems.”
For @marquis404, the state of the capital city is simply disgraceful: “For state capital o,” he wrote in disbelief.
The current situation is not a sudden occurrence. OSUN DEFENDER recalls that in August 2024, a joint report by the United Nations Environmental Programme and Clean-Up Nigeria ranked Osun as the sixth dirtiest state in the country.
The report published places Osun sixth among the top ten dirtiest states of the federation behind Abia, Lagos, Kogi, Anambra and Kano.
Nasarawa, Zamfara, Yobe and Ogun states are in the seventh, eight, nine and tenth positions respectively.
According to the global body, the dearth of proper waste management in Osun is contributing a great deal to air pollution.
OSUN DEFENDER also recalls that the administration of former Governor Rauf Aregbesola had in 2013 launched the O’CLEAN initiative with a view to making the state the cleanest in the country, upgrading its aesthetics and green landscape.
The government procured waste lifting vans, waste disposal bins, and introduced a monthly environmental sanitation programme, among others, to protect the environment.
However, successive administrations, as UNEP disclosed, provided proper waste control, but the lack of compliance from the people has continued to make the state dirty.
A civil society organisation, Transparency Action Group (TAG) had in December 2023 rated Osogbo, the state capital as the dirtiest in Nigeria.
TAG in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Ayo Ologun noted that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration since its assumption of office paid less attention to the beautification of the city, allowing it to be taken over by dirt.
But the Special Adviser on Environment and Sanitation, Hon Babatunde Balogun said the report was a deliberate attempt to rubbish the good work of the Governor.
Hon. Balogun who reiterated the commitment of Governor Adeleke’s administration to deal with the numerous challenges posed by environmental degradation in the state noted that “with all sense of responsibility, entire Osun remains one of the cleanest states in the country as both the state capital and major cities in the state are always kept clean daily by the sweepers, parkers as well as PSP operators.
“We have some large trucks functioning well with small trucks packing over 1000 tonnes of waste to our various dump sites every day for effective management.
“So, how could a group gather false statements to tarnish the good work of an action Governor? This is barbaric and we are condemning and rejecting such write-ups and we are warning them to desist from such act.
“On the issues of waste collection, there was no day that our trucks will not collect refuse, even no holiday as every day is a working day for the officials in charge.
“Similarly, the insecurity in the country does not warrant 5 am collection as before for the safety of our workers but now, our work starts by 6.30 am and if the group is knowledgeable enough, they should know that by 1 pm of each day, the whole city roads are clean.
“Mr Governor is working assiduously on innovations that will assist the environment and sanitation sector development and also ensure that the state shines amongst its equal.
“That is why we are always charging the entire residents of the state to take concrete actions towards ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment as a way of assisting the government.
“I hereby want the group or writer to do a proper investigation as professionals in his field and not tarnish the image and work of others to get cheap political interest,” the statement concluded.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
