ABUJA – The Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of improved waste management within three months.
Mr Lawan Shehu, the newly appointed Acting Director of the board, gave this assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Thursday.
Shehu said that the FCT was an important part of the country which should not accommodate environmental nuisances of any kind.
He added that AEPB would ensure that the FCT was completely rid of hawkers and the destitute within three months of his assumption of duty.
“The FCTA deemed it fit to inject a new team in the system for optimal performance and deliverables worthy of a first class city.
“Emphasis will be on solid waste management, control of street trading as well as destitute management.
“”In the next three months, there would be noticeable improvement in those areas.’’
He advised residents to stop patronising destitute as a way of discouraging them from constituting public nuisance.
Shehu advised AEPB’s contractors to improve on waste management duties as well as the green areas within the capital city.
“Residents should stop patronising destitute persons so that they would not be encouraged to remain on the streets.
“”The hawkers are also advised to take their activities to designated markets or risk confiscation of their wares because there is no provision for street trading in the FCT.
“Contractors have been mandated to improve on their task of adequately clearing waste and regularly maintaining the green areas.’’
He said that AEPB would seek clearance from security authorities to enable the refuse collectors to work at night to achieve better results.
According to him, the importance of a clean FCT cannot be over emphasised as it is the eye through which the world views the country. [eap_ad_1] “Our major quick win is to clear the city of the backlog of solid waste and clear the streets of hawkers and destitute people within three months.
“Arrangements have been made to ensure that we work round the clock to cover lost turn around time in solid waste collection.
“We have also challenged our enforcement team to display high level of commitment and discipline at all times.
He said that the board enjoyed optimal cooperation from cattle herdsmen who were not expected to allow their cattle stray into the city centre.
“The Fulani herdsmen have their activities restricted to certain grazing areas and they have been very cooperative with the board.
“ They have crossing time and that is the only time they could be sighted within parts of the city.”
He said that the FCT was not short of public toilets and urged residents to take advantage of conveniences in all public buildings.
“The problem of open defecation is not that of inadequate public conveniences but that of attitude of the residents.
`It is not possible to have conveniences in every part of the city but people should take advantage of such facilities in hotels, plazas and other such public buildings when they are pressed.
“Provision of such toilet facilities is in fact, a precondition for the approval of building plans for such huge commercial structures,’’ he said.
Shehu said that the board would repackage the monthly environmental sanitation programme for better effectiveness.
NAN reports that Lawan was appointed last Friday to replace Mrs Aisha Adebayo, former AEPB Director, who was redeployed. (NAN)
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