Ismaeel Uthman
THE State Government of Osun has been accused of paying lip service to the clean up of the polluted Osun river.
Urban Alert, a civil society organisation in the state, called on the government to be pragmatic in its ‘reported’ commitment to clean up Osun river.
According to the Cordinator of the group, Anthony Adejuwon, the state government was yet to take action on illegal and unregulated mining in Ijesaland which is responsible for the pollution of the river.
Adejuwon said: “Ninety days after the Osun state government through a press statement threatened illegal gold miners that are degrading the environment and polluting water bodies in Osun state especially the Osun river, activities of illegal and unregulated gold miners still continue.
“Water bodies especially the Osun river is still polluted; contaminated despite the tough talk from the Osun state government. You will recall that the day after the Osun government issued that statement, urban alert also released a statement urging the state government to walk the talk.
“That shows that the Osun government has only said they are going to threaten the people but they have refused to work the talk and this is unacceptable for a government elected by the people to protect them.
“New discoveries of more deadly elements in Osun river should awaken the slumbering government and ensure that something urgent is done. The government should know that the people solely rely on them. They are elected and is expected that the Governor of the state protect the lives and property of the people, not just about insecurity that come from weapons but also on the issues of environmental degradation and water poisoning that is life threatening like this.
“It is unacceptable that after 90 days, nothing significant has been seen to be done by the Osun state government and this is heartless. The government needs to rise up and work the talk, not paying lip service to the cleaning up of Osun river.”
