By, Olawale Ogunbusola, Ibadan

The Oyo State Hospitals’ Management Board (OYSHMB) has warned members of the public against a fake online circular claiming to announce applications for internship and housemanship programmes at the Board.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Board described the publication as false, misleading and the handiwork of fraudsters seeking to deceive unsuspecting applicants.

OYSHMB clarified that it has not commenced any recruitment process for internship or housemanship programmes and urged students, parents and the general public to disregard the fraudulent circular.

The Board noted that its doors remain open for enquiries and clarifications on internships, the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and other programmes relating to hospital management in the state.

The Permanent Secretary, Dr. Anifat Ibraheem, advised residents to visit the Oyo State Hospitals’ Management Board at the State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, for authentic information and clarification on matters relating to the Board.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA) has intensified enforcement against illegal livestock and agricultural activities in Akobo, Ibadan, as part of efforts to protect public health, preserve the environment and ensure compliance with environmental laws.

The enforcement exercise was carried out in collaboration with the Oyo State Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources and relevant security agencies.

During a compliance assessment visit to the Mercy Rock area, officials observed that several residents and property owners who had earlier been served a 21-day Abatement Notice made little or no effort to comply with the Authority’s directives. Consequently, a final 14-day Abatement Notice was served on all defaulters, with a warning that full enforcement would commence immediately after the expiration of the notice.

The enforcement team also responded to a petition by residents of the Ifesowapo, Yawiri area over the activities of a poultry farm allegedly constituting a public nuisance.

Inspection of the facility revealed that the poultry farm, located within a densely populated residential neighbourhood, was emitting offensive odour, while poor waste management practices, including indiscriminate accumulation of poultry droppings, posed significant environmental and public health risks.

Environmental Health Officers described the facility as a potential breeding ground for disease-causing pathogens, warning that the unsanitary conditions could trigger outbreaks of cholera and other communicable diseases if urgent corrective measures were not taken.

The poultry farm owner was subsequently served a 14-day Abatement Notice and directed to rectify all identified environmental infractions in line with the provisions of the Oyo State environmental sanitation laws.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of residents, OYRLEA stated that the ongoing enforcement exercise is aimed at promoting environmental compliance and maintaining a clean, safe and healthy environment across Oyo State.

The Authority warned that individuals or organisations that fail to comply with its directives within the stipulated period would face appropriate enforcement measures in accordance with the laws of Oyo State.