The Ebonyi government on Saturday said it had engaged the services of seven private firms to evacuate refuse dumps in Abakaliki on monthly basis.
The state’s Commissioner for Environment, Mr David Egbu, made the disclosure at a news conference in Abakaliki shortly after the monthly sanitation in the state.
Egbu said the project would cost the state N16 million monthly, as the town had been divided into seven environmental zones to make the job easier for the contractors.
He said “the state executive council realised that the task has overwhelmed the state environmental sanitation agency and decided the contract it to private firms.
“The evacuation will commence on Oct. 1, and it is hoped to contribute in returning the state to its position as one of the cleanest in the country.
“However, the project is different from the contract awarded to private firms to sweep urban roads, streets and evacuate dirt from gutters”.
The commissioner urged residents to do their own part in ensuring the success of the project, as environmental sanitation was the responsibility of every citizen.
He said “residents should ensure that they dispose refuse in refuse bags and place them at designated points for easy evacuation.
“Residents should endeavour to pay their dues for refuse evacuation promptly because
the contractors will be paid mainly from the revenue accrued from the dues”.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that heaps of refuse littered various parts of the town, a situation that could lead to an epidemic.
