Indiscriminate Refuse Dumping: PSP Operators Blame OWMA Boss

 

By Sikiru Obarayese

The Private Sector Partnership (PSP) operators have attacked the General Manager of Osun State Waste Management Agency (OWMA), Alhaji Ganiyu Oyeladun, alleging him of mismanagement and blamed him for the indiscriminate dumping of refuse growing in the state.

The PSP operators’ reaction came on the heel of a report by OSUN DEFENDER over possible epidemic as a result of indiscriminate dumping of refuse in some major parts of the state.

Chairman, Association of Waste Disposal Operators in the state, Wale Olayemi, in an emergency meeting convened to deliberate on urgent issues of concern including the recent statement credited to Oyeladun who blamed the PSP operators, the association declared that the OWMA boss should be held responsible.

They berated Oyeladun for the outburst which they described as diversionary and absolved the association of any blame, adding that the OWMA boss, who doubles as Senior Special Assistant to the Governor Rauf Aregbesola on environment and sanitation should be honourable enough to accept responsibility for his actions and inaction in office instead of passing the buck.

“The latest threat by the GM in his press interview does not come to PSP members as a surprise as it was his usual style of intimidating and holding people by the jugular to have his way.

According to the waste disposal operators, the sanitation situation could not be divorced from Oyeladun’s “I-Know-It-All mentality”, saying, that the General Manager “insensitivity” to persistent complaints by the PSP on the substandard waste disposal trucks, the lack of spare parts for the trucks as well as failure on the part of the suppliers of the 61 trucks, Hanfirqul Nig Ltd, to fulfill their promise to construct a standard workshop for regular maintenance of the trucks were responsible for the situation of things.

The PSP operators added that two of their members have already gotten High Court judgment in their favour on the issues of administrative recklessness while similar cases are pending in court.

The Private waste manager asked Oyeladun to explain the love-hate relationship between him and the special team on enforcement of sanitation laws headed by Biodun Fatunsin to the extent that the team was no longer effective as it used to be in years past.

The waste managers’ association also challenged the OWMA boss to tell the public the condition of about 10 of the imported garbage trucks earmarked by OWMA for use as backup in times of need like this.

“He should also tell the public why another 10 are allowed to rot away in a government facility since the last five to six years without minding the economic implications.

“The truth of the matter is: there are not enough waste disposal trucks across the State including Osogbo, the State capital as almost all the ones purportedly imported by government from China and authorised for use, have broken down one after the other, some for  a period of two to three years while the very few ones are epileptic in their operation.

“The present situation is as a result of the deteriorating condition of the open Lorries with which the PSP members operate to dispose waste in order to keep their job.

The PSP chairman tasked the incoming government to review OWMA’s activities, saying, “Osun State is in dire need of quality garbage trucks that are not too difficult to maintain. The environmental policy of the State needs to be reviewed to make the OWMA purely a regulatory body rather than co-participant in the business of evacuation and disposal of waste to reduce government spending. “

While giving kudos to Governor Rauf Aregbesola for innovating the PSP as part of his economic empowerment programmes for the first time in the history of the state, the association urged the government to help increase the capacity of the group for optimum performance.

The waste management operators also congratulates Alhaji Isiaka Oyetola on his recent election as governor of the State and wished him a successful tenure, just as they assured him of their cooperation and support in piloting the affairs of the state.

All effort to get the OWMA boss reaction proved abortive, as several moves to track him down through series of visit to his office proved abortive while he declined to speak on phone.

Oyeladun had earlier accused PSP operators of sabotaging government efforts and also condemned members of the association, accusing them of being the cankerworm to the effort of government.