…appeal to Governor Abiodun to offset over N650m debt

By James Ogunnaike, ABEOKUTA

On Wednesday, members of the Ogun State chapter of the Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria (AWMN) appealed to the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to pay their outstanding ‘bridging and highway’ allowances, which amounted to over N650 million.

Addressing newsmen in Abeokuta, the State Chairman of the association, Pastor Jolaoluwa Emmanuel, said the refusal of the state government to clear the backlog has not only hampered their efficiency but has equally sent over 100 operators and hundreds of workers out of jobs.

He explained that while the state government owes the waste managers 18 months bridging allowance for general refuse disposal totalling over N450m, the highway operators who he said are in charge of managing public waste dumped across the highways in the state have a backlog of four months running to over N200m.

The AWMN Chairman also lamented the state of the dumpsites across the state, saying that many of them are in a terrible state, making it difficult to access them with their refuse disposal vehicles and should as a matter of priority be fixed before the rainy season begins.

He said, “While we want to appreciate Governor Dapo Abiodun for doing so much to take Ogun State from being one of the dirtiest to the cleanest since he came to power in May 2019, we also want to say that as much as we have been instrumental in achieving this milestone, we are however getting frustrated with the backlog of 18 months bridging payment of over N450m that the government is owing us.

“This backlog is from September 2022 and each time we write a letter to the government, it has been promise upon promises which was never fulfilled. We used to be over 200 operators, but we are now less than 100 because many could no longer cope with the hardship.

“Those who also help take care of the public waste on our highways too are being owed four months, running to over N200m. We are not finding things easy at all, because the cost of operations has gone up astronomically. A litre of diesel is now N1,500, what do we say of the cost of spare parts, and tyres?

“Our efficiency is really being challenged, we have tried to be patient till now, but we may be forced out of business if we don’t have capital to work with. The dumpsites across the state are also not in good condition, the government should please help with the repairs of these dumpsites before the rain begins.

“We are using this medium to appeal to Governor Abiodun to please help us out, the suffering is so much and we can’t bear it anymore”.

Reacting to the development, the State Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Ola Oresanya said the government is aware of the predicament of the waste managers and is already taking steps to ensure that they are paid in a matter of days.

Oresanya said, “We are aware of the pains of waste collectors, which can be attributed to the astronomical increase in fuel prices and the high cost of vehicle spare parts.

“All these resulted in the high operation cost, and we have been avoiding the burden transfer to the public through the increase in waste collection charges.

“The government is aware of these challenges, and we are working to address the matter. I am sure the PSP operators will have reasons to smile very soon. It reflects the prevailing socioeconomic landscape, which I believe will yield a positive dividend with the various intervention strategies by the government.

“I appeal to them to remain calm and be steadfast as a major partner in the public hygiene programme of the State”.