CROSS RIVER FILTH LATEST: Govt acquires home-made waste evacuation trucks

Following public outcry and media campaign against massive filth threatening to swallow up Calabar, the capital city of Cross River state, the government of Ben Iyade has woken up to take the bull by its horns.

Our correspondent in Calabar reports that the Cross River State Government has taken delivery of a batch of over 20 evacuation trucks and 200 collection bins ordered from Innoson motors as part of government’s effort to ensure efficient waste evacuation and management in Calabar.

Receiving the evacuation bins and trucks on behalf of Governor of Cross River State, Prof Ben Ayade, Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment, Engr. Mike Eraye said it was part of a well planned program of Government for a sustainable and effective waste management system in the state.

“This is part of the plan to deal with some of the challenges relating to waste evacuation and restoring the clean and green nature of Calabar. The governor’s visit to the dumpsite was not an afterthought; it was a follow-up to a well planned strategy on how to keep Calabar the way it ought to be – the cleanest city in Nigeria,” he said.

The Commissioner revealed that the governor gained more insight into what the problem is after that visit and chatted a roadmap to clean up the city.

“After that visit, our Governor took some decisions, went to the State Executive Council and obtained approval for 20 pieces of this equipment and over 200 collection bins. From today, we will start deploying some of these bins to Calabar South where the challenge is very severe.”

Clearing the air on the challenge of land space to expand the dumpsite,
Eraye disclosed that the challenge was being tackled.

“The land is being processed and when that is ready, the high end of waste management, which is the waste to wealth, waste to energy, recycling and conversion will take off. We are taking that seriously and we are expecting some partners to participate in the scheme.”

He commended Governor Ayade for funding the acquisition of the equipment despite the challenging economy, and stressed that the local content policy as well as the ’Buy Naira to Grow the Naira’ initiative was considered in the purchase of the evacuation trucks which are manufactured by Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing, a company wholly owned and operated by Nigerians.
“Consider the rate of the naira to the dollar and see if you can purchase anything. It was on the basis of this that we arrived at a decision to promote our own made in Nigeria trucks.

“The parts are available, the trucks are easier to maintain, the factory close by at Nnewi, Anambra State. We have taken a decision that will enable us to sustain the waste management programme,” he said.