Francis Sadhere
Delta State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Frank Omare has read the riot act to illegal land owners in the state, vowing to demolish any house that is built on government property.
Omare said this in Warri yesterday, during the bi-monthly media chart tagged, ‘Searchlight on State of the State’ organized by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Warri Correspondent Chapel.
Hon. Omare who was explaining his task of ensuring that Delta State becomes a clean place to live in, said that some people in the state build houses indiscriminately without getting approval from the ministry of Land and Survey.
He warned that any house built in the state without a Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) would be demolished, stressing that government was going to do everything to make sure that all houses built in the state were built according to the law.
He attributed the challenges of flooding experienced in the state to indiscriminate building of houses, stressing that all houses built on waterways and government property would be demolished.
He said; “If you are building on a government land and without the approval of government, you are building on nothing. Even if you have the approval to build the house and you do not have the C of O you are building on nothing. Though government seems to be acting slow, one day it will act. We have to protect the law no matter whose toes we step on.”
While sympathizing with those whose illegal structures and caravans were demolished in Warri and its environs, Hon. Omare said that he had no regrets doing what he was assigned to do.
However, the Environment Commissioner stressed that the pressure of economic hardship in the country does not give people the right to disobey the laws of the land, appealing to the people to change their attitudes towards environmental sanitation.
“In my ministry we are putting a lot together by the instruction of the Governor. What we have done in Warri here, a lot of people were affected and of course times are very hard. But the point is that, if times are hard and there is difficulties and poverty, must you break the law? If that is so there will be a chaotic atmosphere everywhere and you will see children abandoning their parents and vise versa,” he said.
He lamented the situation whereby people turned government roads to dump sites, adding that recklessness of the citizens must be put in check by the government.
Hon. Omare said that he will not compromise in carrying out the responsibility given to him by the state governor, advising those building illegal structures across the state to stop forthwith as he was “coming back for them.”
“I am not ready to compromise government policies and decisions and I am not playing into the gallery. This is me and you all know how I operate. It is sad that we have to step on toes of a lot of people, it is sad that we have to do what we are doing, it is sad that our mothers are crying, but we have a responsibility to protect the law of the state. I will not fold my arms and continue to allow people think that there is no law in the state,” Omare said.
The Commissioner warned those building structures where their demolished caravans used to be to stop rebuilding, saying that when the task force returns, they will be arrested and made to pay the cost of re-demolishing their illegal structures.
He said the state government through the Attorney General is setting up mobile courts to try environment offenders, adding anyone found guilty trading on the road will be sent to prison.
Omare blamed successive government for the deplorable situation the country founds itself in today, stressing that government, over the years, have allowed illegality to strive without doing anything to checkmate the people.
He also blamed traditional rulers and youths of various communities who he said encourage illegality in their communities by collecting money from those erecting illegal caravans in their land.
He warned that anybody who blocks government road for social activities will be arrested and made to face the full wrath of the law, he cannot fold his arms and watch people disobey the laws of the land with impunity.
He reiterated that government was doing all it can to rid the state off wastes despite the challenges it had in waste disposal, revealing that the state government has completed the incinerator at Asaba which will turn waste to wealth and will help in managing waste in the state.
Speaking on the issue of availability markets in the state, Hon. Omare complained that markets provided by government were not put to good as the people prefer to trade in the roads than in the markets.
He said markets in the state were under-utilized by traders, urging those whose caravans and illegal structures were destroyed by the task force to go to the markets and acquire store that are lying follow in the markets.
