The Kwara State Governor, Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, and Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Razak Atunwa, have said that there is the need for all stakeholders to collaborate to stop environmental degradation and maintain the enviable status of the state capital as a clean city.

Ahmed said on Thursday during a public enlightenment programme tagged, ‘The governor explains,’ that the government had devised a structured approach to handle refuse disposal in the state.

He said drums would be provided in neighbourhoods like the Government Reservation Area, Tanke, and some others in Ilorin.

The governor said private sector consultants would evacuate the refuse at minimal fees to the residents, adding that more waste bins would be supplied in other areas of the state in no distant future.

Ahmed said, “One of the issues we want to tackle head long is the environment. Environment is not anything we can compromise. If anything, we can only make it better than what we met on ground.

“Yes, we are faced with some challenges, but we are not short of solutions to them.  We will continue to get new ways of ensuring that Kwara State keeps improving on its environment.”

Atunwa, on his part, called on all stakeholders to collaborate and stop environmental degradation in the state.

Addressing journalists in Ilorin on Friday, the Speaker lamented that though the environment status of the state was not bad, it was, however, deteriorating.

According to him, it appears as if there is a reduction in the enthusiasm and zeal of the government in the continued execution of the Clean and Green Programme of the state.

He said the Assembly had ordered the Ministry of the Environment and Forestry to ensure improvement in the environmental sanitation in the state, adding that there had yet to be a noticeable positive impact of the directive.

Atunwa said, “Kwara State is a very clean and tidy environment. Certainly, maybe before, it was not like that until we started the Clean and Green Programme. But recently, I find that the enthusiasm with which we pursued the Clean and Green Programme has been somewhat relaxed.

“Our environment is increasingly deteriorating. It is not in bad state yet, but it is fast deteriorating. The Kwara State House of Assembly recently passed a resolution telling the Ministry of Environment to sit up and be mindful of its responsibility. But we are yet to witness any serious improvement.

“I have to be candid because one of our functions as the elected representatives of the people is to be candid with the people and tell the state government where it is not actually pulling its weight. I do not think that as far as the environment is concerned, that we are punching up our way on that. So, we can certainly do more.”

The Speaker urged the people to collaborate with government in its efforts to improve the environment, adding that a scheme introduced by the government, which would ensure that each household had a refuse bin would help boost sanitation in the state.

Atunwa appealed to the residents to embrace the scheme and also improve on their sanitary habits, and warned against illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse, adding that such practice was inimical to environmental safety and well being of the residents.