By OLATUNDE AJAYI

The Oyo State Government has warned waste management consultants to improve their performance or face sanctions.

The Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mr Ademola Aderinto, gave the warning during a meeting with waste consultants on Friday in Ibadan.

The commissioner said the sanctions may include the redistribution of their operational areas and possible disengagement.

According to the commissioner, the state government will commence full enforcement of its house-to-house waste collection policy from Sept. 1.

He said that only consultants with the capacity and commitment to deliver efficient services would remain in the system.

Aderinto warned that consultants who fail to meet expectations would have additional operators deployed to their areas, while persistent poor performance could lead to their removal.

He reiterated the commitment of Gov. Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to leaving a lasting legacy of environmental sustainability.

The commissioner warned that the government would not hesitate to take necessary actions against any operator whose performance undermines the state’s environmental sanitation goals.

Aderinto also urged members of the public to embrace the state’s waste management architecture by ensuring that they register with verified, assigned, and legally recognised waste contractors operating within their areas.

The commissioner also advised residents to desist from engaging illegal waste operator, who go around dumping refuse at non-designated locations.

This, he said, also makes proper waste management difficult and portrays the state in a negative light before the rest of the world.

He urged residents, who currently do not have a waste collector or an assigned waste contractor in their areas, to contact the General Manager of the Oyo State Waste Management Authority or the Director of Environmental Health Services of the ministry for appropriate guidance and assistance.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the commissioner had earlier, during a news conference, announced that effective Sept. 1, the ministry would commence house-to-house inspection of waste management evacuation receipts across the state.

The meeting with waste consultants therefore serves as a follow-up to that engagement with the media, as the government intensifies efforts to ensure effective, sustainable, and orderly waste management across Oyo State. (NAN)