Ondo 2023:- Ondo govt releases regulation on Political campaigns
As part of deliberate efforts to control the effects of noise pollution on the environment during the forth coming Political Campaigns Ondo State Environmental Protection Agency, OSEPA has directed all political parties to come to the Agency office at Igbatoro Road AKURE to obtain permits.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment Mr Oyeniyi Oseni gave the directive at the end of an interactive session with Political Parties representatives in his office in Akure.
The parley was called to introduce the Agency to the Political Parties as vehicles to reach out to politicians, to educate them about the essence of the Agency and secure their buying – in, in its efforts at controlling noise pollution and other environmental pollutants like use plastics, handbills and posters that are associated with electioneering.
The Special Adviser who used the interaction to eulogized the Governor for resuscitating the Agency after years in the limbo said the Law that establishes OSEPA and regulates various humans activities that impacted on the environment noise pollution and penalities for any infraction inclusive have been in existence since 1993. He said the laws were not just promulgated to target any body but for the good of the society.
We all know that apart from used plastic, posters and handbills pollution one of the nuisance that is associated with political campaigns is noise pollution and we as an Agency established to control their impact on the environment hold it a duty to ensure we maintain sanity it it’s uses because of its health impact on people especially with people associated with terminal illines.
“You all know the impact huge noise has on people especially on their health. Unfortunately, many do not know this and they are dying in silence. Some people are sick and uncontrolled and unmitigated noise can trigger more harm to their health conditions”
According to OSEPA Chairman, since it is obvious we can’t stop Political Parties from Campaigning The Agency holds it a duty to regulate the level of decibel of noise produced during the campaigns for the next four months.
He said one of the essence of the meet is to agreed on what to be paid per candidate or per Political Party as each of them is expected to fill in candidates for all the 26 members for the State House of Assembly, 9 House of Representatives, 3 Senators, Deputy Governor and Governor to be declared vacant after the end of their tenure next year.
Speaking earlier the Permanent Secretary of the Agency, Princess Korede Giwa said the OSEPA is poised to ensure there is orderliness in tbe conduct of politicians during the forth coming campaign especially as it relates to noise and other forms of pollution associated with the electioneering.
She said that in line with the directive of The Special Adviser not less than 12 of the active Political Parties in the State were invited for the meeting but regreatably only three were presents. These are All Progressives Congress APC, The Labour and Action Alliance.
The high point of the meeting was the decision all the Political Parties that were present agreed on the need to control the decibel of noise pollution and other forms of pollution during campaign and obtaining permit before the commencement of electioneering.
At the meeting were the management and some critical staff of the Agency’s Department of Environmental Compliance Monitoring.
Prince Bolu Diesel Ajijo
Director Publicity & Advocacy
6th September, 2022
