Gbenga Ilemobayo
The Ogun State Government has distributed some renew and reuse materials such as clothes and shoes to residents of the Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.
It is part of efforts aimed at spreading its waste management initiative tagged: ‘Reuse and Reuse Programme’ to all its 20 local government areas of the state to promote proper waste management through acts of charity and donations.
During the distribution at the local government secretariat in Ipokia, the Commissioner for Environment, Ola Oresanya, said the gesture was part of the government’s deliberate efforts at bonding every strata of the local government together through renewal of some items considered as waste to useful materials for reuse by those who need them thereby promoting human kindness.
Represented by the Director of Environmental, Quality Control, Water Regulatory Enforcement and Advocacy, Ministry of Environment, Mr Kayode Akinwande, Oresanya said the renew and reuse materials were items donated by some residents who considered them as waste but were renewed by the state government for the use of other residents who find them useful.
He stated, “With the exercise, we want our people to know that waste is not waste unless you waste them as one person’s waste is a source of joy to another person. What you want to throw away is what some people are looking for, so don’t throw them away as this is an avenue for you to show human kindness.
“What you only need to do is to donate your unused items through collection boxes that are placed at strategic locations across the state. The donated items after renewal will be made available to other residents who may need them instead of dumping them on water ways, canals and drainage channels, which will have adverse effect on our environment.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ipokia Local Government Council, Johnson Akohomeh Avoseh, praised the state government through the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and Rotary Club of Abeokuta for the Renew and Reuse Initiate, saying aside from its benefits to the underprivileged, it would solve some environmental challenges, which would affect the populace in both the short and long runs.
Two of the beneficiaries, Madam Esther Akovoyan and Mr Simon Gandonu, thanked the state government for the reused items and urged residents of the local government and the state to donate generously to the initiative so that more people could benefit.
The Ipokia Local Government Area is the third that the distribution of renew and reuse materials has taken place in the state since its inauguration last year.
