Home Feature Kwara Environment Ministry advocates proper refuse disposal

Kwara Environment Ministry advocates proper refuse disposal

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The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Ilorin, Kwara state, Alhaji Amasa Al-Amin, has called on the people of the state to dispose their refuse properly.

Al-Amin who made the call, said proper disposal of refuse will keep the environment clean and safe.

According to him, there is need for people to embrace the culture of proper disposal of refuse.

“The people that are causing most of the problems are the elites; they buy different junk foods and dispose their refuse anyhow, without willingness to pay for proper disposal.

“This educated and working class people refuse to pay the private refuse collectors, rather they look for cheap ways to dispose their refuse, and go to other areas and dump their refuse there,” he said.

The permanent secretary said that the ministry had contacted some private sector agents to collect refuse from house to house and, in return, to be paid N2000 monthly or N500 on each visit.

He said that most of the areas where the people refused to cooperate with the refuse collectors are the central area, where the elites reside, and commercial areas where business transactions are done.

“Like Adeta area of Ilorin, both the primary and secondary school sections have been turned to dump sites.

“We were there at Adeta on Saturday to pack the huge refuse that has been dumped there, and we just have to help clear the refuse to avoid different forms of diseases.

“Also in Maraba, Gambari and Oja-Oba areas of Ilorin, there are lots of refuse dumps, causing air pollution and can also lead to sickness.

“We packed the refuse on Saturday in these areas, but by the following day, there were another set of refuse on the same spots.

“These people are not ready to pay for the packing of refuse, yet most of these places are commercial areas, where business transactions are done and interest achieved,” he said.

According to him, government is spending lots of money to evacuate refuse that the people of the state have power to control.

“People can control this refuse problem, but they refused.

““Until we realise our mistakes and negligence, we will continue to face these challenges and if we decide to leave the refuse, many people will be affected,” he said. NAN

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