The Ondo State Waste Management Authority (ODSWMA) has sealed off five popular buildings within Akure, the Ondo state capital, for their unsanitary and unhygienic practices.
The buildings are, NAO Supermarkets; Olukayode building; Arowolo Bookshop, all on Oba Adesida Road; Rainbow Furniture at Bye-pass junction, and Salon Mega store along Isikan/Cathedral axis.
The General Manager of the Authority Rev. (Mrs) Ayo Adeyemo, who disclosed this on Monday said the owners of the five stores violated environmental laws and failed to comply with the laid down hygienic practices.
According to her, the buildings were sealed off by the order of the court in the ongoing aggressive sensitisation and enforcement campaign of the Authority to ensure total compliance with environmental hygiene and prevent possible outbreak of any form of disease.
She revealed that officials of ODSWMA had earlier visited the affected buildings and told the owners to do the needful but failed to do so, alleging that they are the ones responsible for heaps of waste being dumped along the main roads within the state capital because they do not have adequate waste bins to keep their waste.
She explained that the Agency would sustain the ongoing aggressive sensitisation and enforcement campaign to ensure healthier, safer and cleaner environment that would be attractive to foreign investors and everybody to live in.
She insisted that the affected buildings would not be unsealed until the owners do the needful and comply with environmental sanitation law.
Rev. Adeyemo further noted ODSWMA would continue with the aggressive sensitisation and enforcement exercise until it is satisfied and achieve high level of environmental cleanliness within the state capital.
The GM also said henceforth any business owner or individual found to be dumping waste along the roads and other unauthorised places would be apprehended and be taken to psychiatric hospitals for brain examination, arguing that any sane person would know how to properly dispose his or her waste.
She bemoaned a situation where some popular supermarkets selling food items in unkept and unhealthy surroundings, saying this is injurious to human health.
Rev Adeyemo equally advised all residents to desist from indiscriminate dumping of waste in unauthorised places but procure prescribed waste-bins or risk being arrested and prosecuted.
She also called on all and sundry to cooperate with government and keep their environment clean at all times, stressing that most of the diseases in the society today can be prevented if the people imbibe personal hygiene.