ONDO STATE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT
PRESS STATEMENT
RE: ONDO FLOOD: ZL GLOBAL ALLIANCE’S PRESS STATEMENT
Our attention has been drawn to the press statement issued by Dr. Abiola Bashorun, the CEO of the ZL Global Alliance undermining the government of Ondo State and the Ministry of Environment’s effort towards averting floods in the state, as well as misinforming the public about her abysmal performance in all her engagements with the state government and the Ministry of Environment; therefore, it is pertinent to respond.
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND ZLGA PARTNERSHIP BRIEF
- ZL Global had an MoU with the Ondo state government and the Ministry of Environment for about 6 years with the responsibility of public waste management and the management of Landfill Site, with commitment to inject $5million direct investment into the system and upscale the functional recycling plant at the landfill to create wealth for the state while the company also had an MoU to manage the amphibious boogie for the Ministry of Environment between July 2019 and June 2023.
- We handed about 24 waste collection trucks to ZL Global and also paid monthly for public waste services while she submits her claim quarterly for a channelization program called “OPERARTION FLUSH”
- On the assumption of duty of the new Commissioner for Environment (Honorable Oyeniyi Oseni) on the 2nd of March 2024, the available report and findings depicted lack of capacity and competence by ZLGA to properly handle waste management and report also showed that she had no active MoU with her to further have possession of government properties including 3 Amphibius boogies and 2 Low bed Trailers since the expiration of her last MoU in June 2023 and all her activities thereafter have not been transparent as she has vehemently refused to hand over the equipment even on the request to do so by the Honorable Commissioner.
TERMINATION OF ZLGA CONTRACT
- The ministry terminated ZLGA’s waste management contract for lack of capacity, inefficiency, and consistent frivolous claims for work not done and her inability to fulfil her obligation to invest 5Million dollars which was her selling strategy to the state to take over public waste management in Ondo state. The waste management trucks handed over (about 24 in number) could not be accounted for which was responsible for waste management authority not having any functional truck as at today. This was also confirmed by the committee set up by the Honorable Commissioner to audit the govt assets with ZLGA. Other assets at the landfill were looted and our recycling plants vandalized, and a 300KVA power generating set missing. About 2 months ago, the Honorable Commissioner set up another committee to evaluate asset losses to ZLGA, particularly at the landfill to recover government funds.
- A court order was obtained by the Ministry of Environment to retrieve our Amphibious Boogie in July 2024 since she had vowed not to return government properties and flaunted a fake MoU without the approval of Mr. Governor. The said MoU did not emanate from ONDIPA, Ministry of Justice and not signed by the SSG.
The ministry instituted a criminal case against ZLGA at the magistrate’s court before she became inaccessible and on the premise of NiMet prediction, the court granted an order on compassionate grounds to recover the equipment to further prepare against flooding in the state.
Ondo state government via Ministry of Environment is not in any way owing ZLGA concerning “OPERATION FLUSH” as it was resolved in a meeting with her legal counsel in the Honorable Commissioner’s office since she was in possession of govt funds for responsibilities not executed which is almost an equivalent to her claim with the Ministry.
PROACTIVE STRATEGIES TO COMBAT FLOOD
- The Ministry of Environment was aware of the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NiMet) prediction of imminent flooding in some parts of the country this year, and immediately came up with some active strategies to avert such in the state.
• The Ministry of Environment immediately organized a well-attended stakeholders meeting in May 2024 to sensitize all stakeholders to review strategies to combat flooding.
• The Ministry collaborated with other relevant MDAs including Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Ministry of Physical Planning and the Ministry of Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs that coordinated desilting of some drainages in 18 local governments.
• The Ministry of Environment obtained a court order with the support of the Ministry of Justice to search for, locate and retrieve her Amphibious Boogie and Low beds trailers.
• In August 2024 after the recovery of our equipment we strategically deployed them into the most critically erosion-prone areas in the state which include Akure, Igbokoda, Ore and presently working in Ondo Kingdom for the past 2 weeks, prior to the incident of flooding that occurred 3 days ago.
CAUSE OF ONDO’S FLOOD
- The main cause of the Ondo Kingdom flooding was the inefficiency of ZLGA to have effectively carried out her duties while in charge of the equipment for 4 years. The blockage of the water path which leads to river Oluwa was never dredged in her four years in charge which is the major channel receiving most of the water flow in Ondo kingdom.
The Ministry of Environment has therefore commenced the dredging to link Laje to River Oluwa.
APPRECIATION TO MR GOVERNOR
- Finally, we hereby use this medium to honour and appreciate Governor Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for his support to the Ministry of Environment and its agencies and for his leadership role between the ministry and its former partner (ZLGA), which without him could have led to the Ministries of Environment and Justice arresting the CEO of ZLGA for forgery and unlawful possession of government properties among other charges.
The Ministry of Environment, under the supervision of the Commissioner, Honorable Oyeniyi Oseni, has promised to take responsibility for long-term neglect of certain environmental concerns and gaps noticed while efforts continue to improve on the mandate of the ministry to create a benign environment for all.
Signed:
Honorable Oyeniyi Oseni
(Honorable Commissioner for Environment, Ondo State)
06/10/2024
