By 
The Abia Government has reaffirmed it’s readiness to continue providing an enabling environment for people to do business in the State.
Addressing participants during a meeting with members of the Scrap Metal Association in Umuahia, Commissioner for Environment, Mr. Philemon Ogbonna, noted that the essence of the meeting is to come up with a total familiarization and cordiality between the government and the scrap dealers.
He said the meeting was strategic because it was meant to provide a platform to resolve the challenges facing scrap business in the State.
Mr. Ogbonna added that the meeting is targeted at proposing a means to stop unauthorised scavenging in the State and called on them to do their business in a manner that will not inflict discomfort on the people.
The Commissioner who stressed the need to regularise scavenging business so as to be advantageous to everyone, emphasized that their business will be timed, registered and checkmated and called on everyone to be conscious of their environment.
On his part, the Commissioner for Trade and Commerce, Mr Kingsley Nwokocha, maintained that the regulation of the business has become imperative and will help identify the source of the sellers.
He contended that proper identification of the scavengers will go a long way to curb the menace in the business and reiterated the need for them to register their business at the CAC as well as get their ABSSIN Number.
In his message, the General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, (ASEPA), Chief Ogbonnia Okereke, described scavenging as a legitimate business, noting that the activities of scavengers has resulted to the missing of manholes on the newly constructed roads in Aba and Umuahia and buckets at Isi gate, Umuahia
He assured them of the State Government’s readiness to provide a conducive environment for them to do their business, as a way of stopping the menace in their business.
In their separate responses, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Prof. Mrs Iheukwumere and her Climate Change counterpart, Ms. Esther Ajah, noted that a better attitude for the scavengers will help the supply and recycling chain of their business and enjoined them to stop the illegalities in their business.
Responding, some of the members of the Scrap Metal Association including Mr Chukwudi Onwukaeme and Mr Okeke Ogwuegbu, said the Inner Galaxy which is the biggest dump site for metals in the State does not buy railway tracks, manhole and other government property and reiterated the need for government to come up with measures that will help to harmonize the activities of scavengers.
The also assured that they will support the government in every of their agenda.
Comments