Waste companies get marching order
By Kemi Olatunde
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Unimpressed by the level of wastes littering Akure metropolis, Ondo State government has issued a marching order to private waste companies to buckle up or be fired.
The state Commissioner for Environment, Mr Funso Esan issued the warning during a meeting with stakeholders on Thursday in Akure.
He urged the management of ZL Global Alliance Ltd and other Private Sector Participants (PSP) to brace up because government will not hesitate to revoke their contract if they fail to perform their duties.
According to him, Ondo State which used to be prided as one of the cleanest states in the country has recently been ranked as the second dirtiest state in the country, saying “this is disheartening.”
He noted that ZL Global Alliance Ltd which is saddled with the responsibility of public waste management in Akure, Owo, Ondo, Ore and Igbokoda at a cost to be paid by government, has engaged in late waste collection in recent times saying “the manner of waste collection is not thorough as remnants of wastes are often left behind after evacuation which litter the highway.”
He observed that the company has failed to observe round up patrol, give attention to communal dumps and activities of highway sweepers which according to him have contributed to the terrible state of waste management in the state.
While expressing dissatisfaction at its level of service, the Commissioner frowned at the inadequate service in the zones attached to the company noting that “there are cases of clients with advance payments of up to a year, but who are not serviced.”
Commenting on the activities of other PSPs which include O-Top Solution, Ken Global Enterprises, BCL, Ocean Ends, Solid Waste Management, Cleaner Environment and Associates, Sustainable, R.R. Renold, Authentic Waste and Development Services, Julibos Nigeria Enterprises and First Infinity Merchant, he frowned at the inadequate waste collection and transportation and added that ” most of your trucks are old, leading to incessant breakdown, this needs to be addressed without delay.
“There are reported cases of PSPs charging above the approved rates. This is unacceptable and any PSP caught will be sanctioned.
“There were cases where PSPs submited list of non compliance for enforcement, only to get to the court to find out that clients were not serviced by the PSPs that reported them. This is unfair. “
While affirming that both ZL Global Alliance Ltd and other PSPs have not done enough, he warned that “anyone found of dereliction of duty will be disengaged as the governor had expressed displeasure with the state of waste management in the state.
“After today (yesterday), the task force will do the needful, those collecting waste must do their duty otherwise irrespective of the MOU between us, we will cancel it and do the right thing.”
Also speaking, General Manager, Ondo State Waste Management Authority, Mrs Bola Akinyanmi, who noted that the population of the state increases on daily basis, frowned at the violation of the law of the environmental sanitation exercise, saying “Shasha traders don’t participate in environmental sanitation exercise and they have also established a goat/ram market by the roadside of a federal highway, this isn’t acceptable. Don’t make Ondo State look terrible.”
Secretary, Association of Waste Management of Nigeria, Ondo State chapter, Kunle Asaolu, described good road network as one of the major challenges of waste collection saying “there is a terrible section of the road to the dump site”.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Mr Temitayo Adeniyi while stressing the need for the PSPs to see their duty as their contribution to saving lives, stated that it is important to improve on waste collection in the state and added that they should think of ways to perform better in their mode of operation.
In his response, an operational staff of ZL Global Alliance Ltd, Mr Tobi Benjamin while assuring government of improving on the organization’s lapses called for proper enlightenment of citizens on the need to package their waste properly and added that other PSPs should play their role well in order to make the work easier for all of them.
A trader, Mr. Sunday Adeyemo while also lamenting the lackadaisical attitude towards waste collection recently, noted that the scenario which played out few weeks ago in Akure was better imagined saying “how can one just neglect his/her duty post without thinking of its effect on others especially with the outbreak if Lassa fever in some parts of the state?
