By Daniel Bebia
General Manager, Waste Management Agency, Mr.Oko Sunday has assured residents of Calabar metropolis of government’s continuous commitment in ensuring zero tolerance for waste in the state.
The General Manager stated this while carrying out on -the- spot facilities tour and assessment in Calabar.
He said the Governor, Sir Ben Ayade -led administration is determined and committed to ensure that Cross River remain the cleaned and greenest State in Nigeria, adding that plans were on top gear towards kick starting the Waste- to -Wealth programme of the Federal Government which the state was earmarked as the pilot state.
“Recall that Cross River state has been earmarked to pilot the National Waste – to- Wealth programme initiated by the Council for Entrepreneurs for Africa (COEFA) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Science and and Technology (FMST). This development will set a new agenda on efficient Waste disposal and management which if converted into power and energy would provide enormous socio- economic benefit for the youths, women at the grassroots and the state in general, he added”.
The Waste to Wealth national programme if implemented will improve the aesthetics of our environment, enhance Cross River State status as number one tourism destination in Africa and above all generate revenue for the state.
Mr Oko said the exercise was to familiarize with the locations of waste bins as well as terrain for easy monitoring and inspection of waste activities within the metropolis.
He applauded the Ministry of Environment for job well donewhile in charge of waste management and appealed to contractors for maximum support, commitment and cooperation to ensure the state in rid of waste.
Further, the GM frowned at the rate at which scavengers scatter Waste in search of material thereby littering the state capital. He said rather than scattering Waste bins,the should scavenge at the dump site hinting that an enforcement team has commenced monitoring for environmental standards adherence and compliance.
He admonished the general public to desist from dumping Waste indiscriminately, stating that keeping Cross River State clean is our shared responsibility.
On his part,the Dump site Manager, Mr. Ayi Etim Effiong said the volume of waste has increased due to population explosion therefore the need for a new dump site.
He said lack of some equipment such as; kitting, bulldozers and others are the major challenges while appealing to government to step in swiftly for effective service delivery