Makinde Tasks New Environment Commissioner On Addressing Sectoral Setbacks
•By OYENIYI KAZEEM
IBADAN – OYO State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has charged the newly sworn-in Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Pastor Ademola Aderinto, to urgently address lingering challenges in the environmental sector, admitting that the state has yet to achieve the level of results expected from the ministry.
Makinde gave the charge on Friday shortly after administering the oath of office to Aderinto, whom he deliberately redeployed to the environment ministry in response to what he described as unmet goals and persistent setbacks in the sector.
While acknowledging that efforts had been made and some progress recorded over the years, the governor said many of the desired outcomes remained unachieved, necessitating renewed leadership and urgency.
“There are challenges in the Ministry of Environment, and much of the desired results have not been met,” Makinde said. “That is why I am confident in the capacity of Pastor Aderinto to address these issues headlong.”
The governor stressed that environmental challenges in the state required renewed energy, clarity of purpose, and firm leadership, urging the new commissioner to leave no stone unturned in tackling issues related to climate action, environmental degradation, and sanitation across the state.
He also tasked Aderinto with confronting what he described as an entrenched culture of indiscipline, particularly indiscriminate waste disposal, which continues to undermine government efforts.
Makinde noted that the assignment would not be unfamiliar terrain for the commissioner, recalling that Aderinto had previously served as Special Assistant on Environment and Natural Resources, a role that exposed him to the inner workings and challenges of the ministry.
“This is not a strange assignment for him,” the governor added. “He understands the sector and knows what needs to be done.”
Speaking with journalists after the ceremony, Aderinto said his approach would go beyond the narrow focus on waste management, which he noted was often the most visible environmental concern to the public.
“When people talk about the environment, what comes to their lips immediately is waste management,” he said. “But there are many other things in the environment beyond that.”
While admitting that progress in the sector had been uneven, the commissioner explained that the administration was now at a stage of consolidation rather than experimentation.
“It is not that we have not made gains over the years,” Aderinto said.
“What we are doing now is consolidation. If you want to cut down a tree, you sharpen your axe first. The question is how much effort you put into sharpening before you start cutting, so you do not get frustrated halfway.”
He revealed that much of the work done in recent years had taken place behind the scenes, particularly in climate action, environmental protection, and waste management systems.
“What people have been seeing is the sharpening of the axe,” he said. “Now we are ready to cut. The work done in the background is ready to be shown to the world.”
Describing his appointment as strategic, Aderinto said the administration was in its final lap and could not afford to miss the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.
“This is the home run. It is the last lap,” he said. “We have to get it right once and for all, for everyone to see.”
He added that the goal was to firmly place the environmental record of the Makinde administration in history.
“We want to write the name of this administration in the sand of time and write it in gold, so that it can be said that during the eight years of Governor Seyi Makinde, in environment, waste management, climate action, and environmental protection, this administration got it right,” Aderinto said.
The event was attended by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Bayo Lawal; the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, represented by the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Fadeyi; the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Hon. Justice Iyabo Yerima, represented by Hon. Justice O.A. Adetijoye; the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Babatunde; Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi; Head of Service, Mrs. Olubunmi Oni, mni; Deputy Chief of Staff, Hon. Kazeem Adeniyi; Senior Executive Assistant to the Governor on General Duties, Chief Bayo Lawal; commissioners, permanent secretaries, and other top government officials.