As part of deliberate efforts to control the effects of noise pollution on the environment during the political campaigns, Ondo State Environmental Protection Agency (OSEPA) has directed all political parties to obtain permits from its office at Igbatoro Road, Akure.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment, Mr Oyeniyi Oseni gave the directive to representatives of the political parties who were invited to his office to be briefed on the agency’s responsibility to control noise pollution and other environmental pollutants such as used plastics, handbills and posters associated with electioneering.
The Special Adviser commended Governor Rotimi Akeredolu for resuscitating the agency after years in the limbo. He explained that the OSEPA law regulates various humans activities that impacted on the environment and stipulates penalities for any infraction has been in existence since 1993.
He said the laws were not just promulgated to target anybody 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 in its uses because of its health impact on the people, especially with people associated with terminal illness.
“You all know the impact huge noise has on people especially on their health. Unfortunately, many people 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,” he stated.
According to OSEPA Chairman, since political parties could not be stopped from campaigning, the agency has a duty to regulate the level of decibel of noise produced during the campaigns.
He said one of the essence of the meeting was to agree on the fees per candidate or per political party as for political campaigns that have bearing on the agency’s responsibilities.
Earlier, OSEPA Permanent Secretary, Princess Korede Giwa said that the agency is poised to ensure there is orderliness in the conduct of politicians during the campaign, especially as it relates to noise and other forms of pollution associated with the electioneering.
She said that, as directed by the Special Adviser, at least 12 political parties in the state were invited for the meeting but only three were present. These are All Progressives Congress, Labour Party and Action Alliance.
The political parties agreed on the need to control noise decibel and other forms of pollution during the campaign and obtaining permit before the commencement of electioneering.
