The Osun state Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation,
Olubukola Oyawoye, has attributed the consistent and drastic reduction in cases
of malaria in the state to the proactive environmental policy of Governor Rauf
Aregbesola.
Oyawoye, a professor of microbiology, said from the frightening
750,000 recorded in 2011, cases of malaria recorded in the state had fallen
below 200,000 in 2013.
The commissioner featured at the monthly guest lecture forum
of the Oyo state Correspondents' Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists
(NUJ), where she opened up on measures taken by the incumbent government in
Osun to address the many environmental challenges inherited on assumption of office.
Oyawoye, who confessed that flood created a huge challenge
for Aregbesola’s government at inception, wherein some kids, cows were drowned,
and other valuable materials destroyed, noted that "as a result of
cleanliness advocacy of Governor Aregbesola, flood became a thing of the past
and cholera has disappeared, with war against indiscriminate dumping of waste
sustaining our success story".
While fielding questions from members of the chapel led by Ola
Ajayi, the don, who spoke on the title: "Clean and Sustainable
Environment, Panacea for outbreak of epidemic: The State of Osun
experience", blamed the past administration for the huge dirt that dotted
many parts of the state, culminating in the outbreak of cholera then.
According to her, owing to the negligence of the past
administrations in matters relating to sanitation and safe environment, there were
incidences of "flooding which resulted into loss of lives; indiscriminate
dumping of refuse along water courses and roads, resulting into dirty
environment and consequently outbreak of epidemic; indiscriminate felling of
trees within and outside forest reserves without replacement".
But, in order to stem the tide, she said, "Governor
Aregbesola declared a three-month emergency on sanitation. Though it
inconvenienced people initially, the end result was encouraging.
"In a day, we removed 36 lorry loads of waste from a
public dump site and we later dredged hundreds of waterways to avoid flooding
and spread of epidemic diseases. 240 boreholes were sunk at the cost of $2.5m;
public toilets were constructed across the state; we converted wastes to
biogas, as well as planting 'Igi-Iye' to facilitate clean and healthy
environment for our people to live in", she said.
Oyawoye, who looked forward to victory for her boss in the
forthcoming election, boasted that the administration had succeeded in
"banishing poverty, banishing hunger, banishing unemployment, restoring
healthy living, functional education, as well as communal peace and
progress".
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