Waste Mgt Board Partners Police To Curb Poor Attitudes Of Residents

BY AWELE OGBOGU

THE Executive Chair­man of Delta State Waste Management Board, Hon. Matthew Mofe Edema has sought the collaboration of the Delta State Police Command in ensuring that no one is spared in its ongoing ef­forts to bring about total cleanliness of Asaba, the state capital and major towns and cities across the state.

Edema, while making the request for collabora­tion to the Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, re­cently, in his office, dur­ing a visit to the Delta State Police Command headquarters, Okpanam Road, Asaba, emphasized that the collaboration is necessary to send a strong signal to offenders that there is a new dawn in waste management, being a major drive in realizing the MORE Agenda of His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sher­iff Oborevwori, adding that the Waste Manage­ment Board in being fully aware of this mandate, is determined to stamp out the poor attitudes of many residents to waste gather­ing and disposal.

Edema indicated that since many offences had gone unpunished in the past, many people, espe­cially urban dwellers are now of the impression that they can carry on as they wish, adding that an active collaboration with the Police will ensure that there is no hiding place for offenders, no matter how highly placed in the society.

Edema was accompa­nied during the visit by Member representing Delta North in the Waste Management Board, Hon. Cosmas Igbinije as well as management staff of the Board.

It was gathered that of­fences which the Waste Management Board has the mandate to punish include indiscriminate dumping of refuse or dumping of bagged refuse on road medians for col­lection by PSP operators when such persons are expected to keep refuse bins outside their homes, refusal or failure to regis­ter with a registered PSP operator, failure to pay bills charged for waste collec­tion for up to three months, non-availability of soak-away facilities for liquid wastes, while residents are expected to keep their surroundings clean to a distance of no less than 20 metres from their homes.

Speaking further, Edema vowed that henceforth, of­fenders will be dragged to court by the Waste Manage­ment Board.

In his response, CP Abaniwonda assured that the Police in the state will collaborate fully with the Edema-led Waste Manage­ment Board in ensuring that the state is kept clean at all times, adding that the partnership is needed as cleanliness is next to Godliness.