Abia State House of Assembly has said the poor management of refuse in the commercial capital of the state, Aba and Umuahia is traceable to limited working tools available to Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA.
Speaking on a Matter of Urgent Public Importance on the floor of the House, Member representing Umuahia North State Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike said the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the State gives him concern.
He said some streets and roads in the State capital and Aba have been taken over by refuse and emphasised that refuse in Umuahia has become an eyesore which made him have an interface with the General Manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency.
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Hon Kelechi Onuzuruike said the General Manager disclosed to him that the agency has only one functional Excavator and one roll-on truck, and that the agency spends over N1.3m every month to hire other equipment needed for the excavation of refuse.
Hon Kelechi further said that the General Manager said the agency have some equipment in their custody but cannot make use of them because they have not been paid for in full by the State Government. The lawmaker therefore prayed that the Executive Arm of Government pay for those new trucks so the agency can effectively do their job.
After contributions to the matter from members, the Speaker, Rt Hon Engr Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji asked the Chairman House Committee on Environment to summon the General Manager of Abia State Environmental Protection Agency to appear before the committee and furnish it with more facts on the situation and efforts made so far by the agency to improve the process.
The House Committee on Environment is to report back to the House on Monday, 13th December, 2021.
