BENIN CITY —THE Edo Civil Society Organisations, EDOCSO, Tuesday, threatened legal action against the Edo State government for violating a court ruling that barred it from collecting waste from citizens of the state.
Coordinator of the group, Omobude Agho stated this yesterday when he addressed members of the group including journalsts as part of activities to mark this year’s World Human Rights Day.
However, a source in the Edo State Ministry of Environment indicate that the said judgment has already been appealed by the state government.
But Omobude speaking on the topic “Edo State Waste Management Board and Related Issues” said it is condemnable for the ministry of environment, all in the name of generating revenue for the state, to subject the people to hardship by compelling them to always bring their waste to them to evacuate rather than allowing the individuals to do it themselves.
“For authorities to violate court judgement because they want to generate revenue from citizens is violation of human’s rights and so, we dimmed today fit to discuss the Edo State Waste Management Board and other related issues vis-a-vis the judgement that nullified the activities and the powers of the board.
“For us, we cannot discuss any other issues apart from this because yet, the board still go about harassing citizens with police and threatened to take them to court, causing them a lot of tension and apprehension.
“It is wrong and that is why we came out to seek the way forward and to tell Edo people that we are willing to take all those that have violated the court judgement to court and we are willing to see them go to jail.
“We are using this medium to warn the commissioner for environment to take note that we will not fold our hands and allow his department to oppress the Edo people because they want to generate revenue”, he said.
