Edo State Govt. Decries Incessant Dumping of Waste in Unauthorized Places in New Benin Market, Environs
Edeniyere Abraham Osose
In a bid to consolidate the continuous effort of the Governor Godwin Obaseki-led administration to create a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for the people and for businesses to thrive, the Edo State Waste Management Board, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Sustainability as well as the Oredo Local Government Council, has carried out inspection and sensitization exercise around New Benin Market and environs in Benin City, with a call on landlords, shop owners and market traders to register with zonal waste managers, and stop putting waste on the median, walkways, setbacks and other unauthorized places in the market area.
Speaking during the inspection and sensitisation exercise at the New Benin Market, the General Manager, Edo State Waste Management Board, Mr. Osadebamen Charles Imariagbe, who was accompanied by some Senior Health officers from the Board and Oredo Local Government, enforcement team and other relevant stakeholders, warned traders and shop owners to desist from the negative practice.
The General Manager, who decried the high level of indiscriminate dumping of waste on the centre of the roads, setbacks, walkways and other unauthorized places in the market, also frowned at illegal trading activities, and urged the people to support the efforts of the State Government through the Board to curb the incessant and indiscriminate dumping of waste in the market area, with both household waste and market waste, which has become a menace in New Benin.
According to him, “We have been here since the break of dawn, and it is our routine exercise to clean up the City, but this one is a special operation, particularly focused on a targeted area, which is very notorious for illegal dumping of refuse, with the nature of trading that happens here every day, most especially in the morning, 3, 4 o’clock, down to early morning. We have been sending warnings, trying to caution a lot of people, and some have been served notices.
“We have been monitoring this area, particularly the street trade that happens here, the way they gather refuse and keep it by the side and on the median. Today, we have been able to go round with all our officers from the Board, as well as the officers from the Local Government, Oredo and our enforcement team, and we are sounding a note of warning. For us, this one is very important because this particular area is in the heart of town, and yet, there is a lot of illegal trading going on, especially the indiscriminate dumping of refuse that happens here. We will continue to sensitize the people; and also, we will be coming back here to do arrest where necessary.”
Imariagbe further said: “We want to sound a note of warning again to the traders that are guilty of it. They should desist from it, register with accredited waste managers. They should properly bag their refuse; they should not throw it away on the median, but endeavour to keep it in designated areas, and hand it over to the waste manager every day as he comes.”
“Anybody that is found wanting, doing any other thing apart from what has been told, dumping them on the median, walkway and setback will be apprehended and prosecuted. This is a sound warning from Edo State Waste Management Board and the State Government with the support of the Oredo Local Government. Together, we are set out, and we are determined to make the State clean,” he added.