An appeal has gone to the community leaders, landlords and landlady’s associations, security and relevant government agencies in the state to ensure surveillance of the environment with focus on preventing criminals from turning dilapidated structures across the state into hideouts.
The appeal was contained in a motion presented before the Oyo State House of Assembly by the Majority Leader, Hon. Sanjo Adedoyin on Thursday.
The lawmaker representing Ogbomoso South constituency, in a motion titled “Need to put Measure in Place to Address the Prevalence of Abandoned or Dilapidated Buildings to Prevent its Adverse Effects to the Environment”, said that several environmental risks are associated with abandoned and dilapidated buildings.
Hon. Adedoyin noted that many of these buildings are havens of criminal elements in the state where atrocities such as rape, drug/hemp smoking, attacks on innocent citizens and several others are perpetrated.
The lawmaker revealed that residents often times converted dilapidated buildings to toilet facilities and dumping grounds, of which leading to spread of diseases such as cholera and measles in the communities
While speaking further on the motion seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Abiodun Fadeyi, Majority Leader, urged the state Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to embark on the process of taking inventory of abandoned or dilapidated buildings across the state.
Hon. Adedoyin, while advising that dilapidated buildings can be converted and reconstructed to valuable green infrastructure, disclosed that the rampant incidences of kidnapping with ransom demand have been associated with the problem of abandoned or dilapidated buildings and other criminal hideouts.
Many of the lawmakers, who contributed to the motion emphasized on the need to call on the community leaders, landlords/landlady’s associations, security agencies and government agencies to improve on surveillance of their environment in order to prevent the criminals from turning those buildings into hideouts.
The Speaker, Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, while passing the resolutions, resolved that the executive arm of government through the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to sensitize the public on the hazards of dilapidated buildings.
The Speaker also urged the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development to give an ultimatum in line with Extant Law, to which people can leave buildings unattended to, at the expiration of which the building would be consfisticated and reconstructed into public facilities.
