By Abigael Joshua
The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has tasked contractors on improving sanitation within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by adopting efficient practices,
Mrs Kate Ogbonna, Acting Director, AEPB, said this on Wednesday at a meeting with the newly inaugurated 54 contractors in the FCT.
She said the contractors were responsible for the regular and thorough evacuation of refuse from bins, bus stops, and other areas.
“The aim of this meeting is to have a close discussion on how the work should be done between us, the directors and the contractors.
“You should know your demarcation, you should know what we want you to do because the Minister of FCT, Nyesom Wike has given a marching order that the contractors should be on ground and do their work as stipulated.
“You must work to ensure clean environment. The FCT minister wants the FCT to be like the first class city of the world in cleanliness, he wants this place to be a healthy environment for the residents of FCT even for visitors,” she said.
Ogbonna recalled that emphasis on clean environment with the newly inaugurated 54 contractors started from Nov. 17.
“So we want to have interaction with them based on the things we identified in the field. Some of them are not meeting up, but some are meeting up.
“We know that the residents of FCT also have a role to play, especially in ensuring a clean environment. It is not only the contractors that will do it. While the contractor is doing their own, the residents of FCT has a role to play.
“They must have adequate waste bins to dispose their wastes. And at the same time, ensuring that they clean their environment. They don’t have to allow overgrown grasses everywhere,” she said.
She assured the contractors that the FCT Minister would definitely address delayed payments, adding the AEPB is strongly in partnership with Mr Felix Obuah, Coordinator for Abuja Metropolitan Management Council, to ensure environmental sustainability within the FCT.
Mr Omoruyi Omogiade, the Director Solid Waste Management South in the agency, urged the contractors to do their work as expected to avoid penalties.
He warned against indiscriminate dumping and burning of dumps by contractors warning that such acts would attract sanctions.
He further urged contractors to provide first aid equipment for their personnel to safeguard their health as they carry out the job.
Also, Ben Enwerem, the Director of Solid Waste Management North, urged the contractors to have schedules for their daily duties, warning that AEPB won’t pay any contractor that is not performing well.
He said contractors evaluation chart would facilitate their urgent pay and assured that the performance of the contractors would be keenly monitored to avoid lapses in the discharge of their duties to FCT residents.
Also, Ibrahim Babayo, Chairman of Solid Waste Contractors, commended the new AEPB director for her commitment to dialogue with them.
He promised to ensure that Abuja becomes a model city. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Sadiya Hamza
