Ebonyi state government on Saturday said that it has put in place an intervention mechanism for waste disposal noting that the intervention is yeilding results.

 

Briefing journalists during monthly sanitation exercise in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Victor Chukwu said that this month exercise witnessed compliance urging residents to have realistic expectations regarding waste disposal.

 

He disclosed that the ministry has put in place an intervention mechanism for waste disposal noting that whenever contractors fail to perform their duties the ministry hires trucks and labourers to evacuate waste in affected areas and later deducts the expenses from the defaulting contractor’s monthly payment.

 

The commissioner further revealed that more than 80 supervisors, environmental marshals and officials of the Environmental Health Services Department have been deployed across the state to monitor sanitation and ensure contractors comply with their obligations.

 

He also warned residents against dumping refuse at unauthorized locations, explaining that many illegal dump sites are inaccessible to waste evacuation trucks.

 

“We designate dump sites along accessible roads because trucks cannot enter difficult terrains. People who ignore these designated points and dump refuse elsewhere should not expect the ministry to evacuate the waste,” he said.

 

Nobody should expect waste eradication. We can’t eradicate waste; what we do is evacuate it,” he said.

 

According to him, waste management remains a core mandate of the ministry, but the focus is on prompt evacuation rather than eliminating waste generation.

 

The commissioner explained that refuse collection across the state is carried out consistently, except on Mondays when contractors are overwhelmed by the large volume of waste generated during the weekend.

 

He noted that because sanitation contractors do not operate on Sundays, waste produced from Saturday evening through Sunday accumulates, making Mondays particularly challenging.

 

“If you come to a dump site early on Monday morning, it may appear neglected, but by afternoon the waste would have been evacuated. Between Tuesday and the following weekend, you will hardly find unattended dumps unless there is an unforeseen circumstance such as vehicle breakdown,” Chukwu stated.

 

Meanwhile, a resident, Pastor Sunday Agada, commended the administration of Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru for sustaining the monthly sanitation exercise.

 

Agada said residents willingly participated in the exercise, especially in markets, because they appreciated the government’s commitment to environmental cleanliness.

 

“Today is our pre-market sanitation day, and everybody locked up their shops to clean the market. You can see how clean the environment is. It shows that the people support the exercise and are happy with what the present administration is doing,” he said.

 

He called on residents to sustain their cooperation with the government in keeping Ebonyi State clean and healthy.