The Ogun State government on Monday issued a 14-day ultimatum to car dealers and traders who display their wares on the road sides, walkways, medians and setbacks of major roads in the State to vacate or risk sanctions.
The Commissioner for Environment, Abiodun Abudu-Balogun who gave the ultimatum during a press conference in his office in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, lamented that the activities of the car dealers and traders on the road had become a menace and a threat to the safety of road users and pedestrians.

Abudu-Balogun said, “Car dealers have turned our road sides, road setbacks, walkways and medians to their car shops. I can assure you that in the next two weeks, you are going to see actions, I’m going to personally lead the operation to evacuate these vehicles”.
“We will not only stop them, but appropriate fines will be paid to the government. We are not going allow any car dealer to turn our road medians, setbacks or walkways into their car shops. Anyone caught doing that after this notice will be sanctioned and the vehicles will be tolled away, they will pay fines to government and they will also pay cost of removal”, the Commissioner affirmed.
The Commissioner disclosed that the State would embark on the construction of 1,300 public toilets across the State to combat open defecation.
Abudu-Balogun who said the construction of the public toilets was geared towards preventing outbreak of epidemics in the State, explained that a foreign organisation in partnership with the State would construct 500 public toilets while the State itself would build 800 toilets.

The Commissioner said it was regrettable and worrisome that in a modern society some houses in the State were still without toilet facilities.

His words, “Many houses, especially old houses in the State do not toilet facilities and this is a great source of worry to us. Our officers are going round the State, day in, day out, to ensure that they comply with this basic requirement.
“But the government on its own is planning to construct public toilets all over the State so as to check this problem of open defecation in the State.”

“We have plans to work with a foreign organisation to construct about 500 toilets in the State.”
“And also in our budget for this year, the State plans to construct about 800 toilets as well this year. If we are able to get some of these things done, open defecation will be drastically reduced. And appropriate sanctions will be given to anybody found guilty of open defecation”, the Commissioner said.

The Commissioner also urged the people of the State to desist from dumping refuse inside drainages to prevent flooding, saying “I am imploring the people to please clear their drainages and they should also stop the bad behaviour of dumping refuse on major roads.”
In preparation for the rainy season, Abudu-Balogun disclosed that the State had commenced the process of de-silting rivers and clearing of blocked drainages.

He disclosed that the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration was working tirelessly to ensure the release the first tranche of the $5million of the World Bank grant to fight erosion and flood in the State.