By Our Correspondent
The Obafemi Owode Local Government has ordered the immediate cessation of work on an earthen sewage digester being constructed by Tosam Farms Limited in Moloko-Asipa community, following complaints of environmental pollution and public health risks raised by residents.
The directive was issued on Thursday, January 29, 2026, by the Executive Chairman of Obafemi Owode Local Government, Ambassador Adesina ‘Lanre Ogunsola, FCPA, during a monitoring tour of the area to assess compliance with ongoing market sanitation exercises.
The action came after the Moloko-Asipa Community Development Association (CDA) lodged a formal complaint against the livestock company, citing persistent pollution of the neighbourhood, constant inhalation of offensive odour by residents, and repeated spillage from the company’s waste digester. According to the CDA, these issues had been brought to the attention of the company’s management on several occasions without any meaningful response.
Ambassador Ogunsola, who was represented on the tour by the Vice Chairman of the Local Government, Hon. Abiodun Sobunkonla, and the Secretary to the Local Government, Hon. Kayode Dipeolu, emphasized that no company has the right to operate a large-scale livestock farm without due consideration for its environmental impact on host communities.
He assured residents that the local government would address the matter decisively, stressing that the administration would not compromise the health and wellbeing of its people under any guise. “Government cannot afford to toy with the good health of its citizens. Environmental safety is non-negotiable,” the chairman stated.
The Executive Chairman further appealed to the CDA to allow the government to take full charge of the situation, assuring all parties that fairness and justice would guide the process. He, however, warned that the local government would not tolerate indolence, negligence, or disregard for the principles of Public-Private-Community Partnership.
Speaking during the engagement, the Chairman of the Moloko-Asipa Community Development Association, Comrade Bakare Ogunyemi, condemned what he described as the nonchalant and indifferent attitude of the company’s owner towards the plight of the community. He clarified that the farm manager, Mr. Benjamin Awoleye, should not be held responsible, noting that he lacked full decision-making authority and could only act on directives from the company’s owner.
As part of efforts to find a lasting solution, the Obafemi Owode Local Government has summoned all relevant stakeholders, including representatives of the Moloko-Asipa community and Tosam Farms Limited, to an official meeting scheduled to hold on Tuesday, February 6, 2026, at the Local Government Secretariat.
The local government reiterated its commitment to protecting public health, promoting environmental responsibility, and fostering harmonious coexistence between private enterprises and host communities.
