Abia State Government has announced plans to modernize the Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) waste collection process across the State.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing Journalists on the outcome of this week’s Exco Meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
Prince Kanu said that the new system will focus on residential areas and business premises while maintaining central waste collection in Markets and high-traffic zones.
“You will all agree with me that the State Government has made very tremendous progress in terms of cleanliness in the State of our public spaces through the activities of ASEPA.
“The State Environmental and Waste Disposal Management in the State Capital, in Aba and Ohafia and other parts of the State are one of the principal achievements of this administration.
“However, having achieved this milestones, ASEPA is now focusing on the next level of Waste Management which will entail modern collection of waste at the point of generation and this will come through residential areas and business premises.
“ASEPA is also poised to run a high breed Waste Management process that will involve Central collection in places such as Markets and in some specific areas with high traffic, both human and vehicular and of course Arterial roads; roads that are very narrow”, he explained.
Prince Kanu said that to sustain this initiative, ASEPA will implement revised tariffs for Waste Disposal adding that Government would continue to subsidize the service as a social responsibility.
“The State Government in someway will offer some assistance in this regard, because waste disposal is seen as a social service but then citizens will to some extent bear some burden in terms of paying some little tariffs for waste disposal;”, the Commissioner stated.
He also urged residents to report cases of vandalism, particularly the theft of ASEPA waste bins by scrap dealers.
“We need public cooperation to safeguard government assets and curb fraudulent activities by illegal waste collectors,” Prince Kanu said.
On Road Infrastructure, the Commissioner said that the State Government has continued to make strides in road rehabilitation, with over 40 direct Labour construction and maintenance projects in progress across the State.
He said that ten roads have already been completed, including Ozuitem Street, Igbere Street, and Udi Street in Umuahia, as well as Cameroon Road, Asa Road, and Market Road in Aba.
Prince Kanu added that 28 major road projects are ongoing, with contractors actively working on-site adding that some of these roads are expected to be completed and commissioned by the Governor before the end of March.
The Commissioner reaffirmed the present administration’s commitment to good governance, and urged residents to support its ongoing reforms.
Contributing, the General Manager Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), Mr Ogbonnia Okereke said ASEPA and Ministry of Environment are working together to deliver on Government mandate of keeping Abia environment clean and healthy.
Mr Ogbonnia revealed that a big recycling company is setting up plastic recycling plant in Aba which would be commissioned on the 2025 World Recycling Day holding on the 18th of March 2025.
He said the State is partnering many organizations to set up similar processing and recycling plants in the State as well as “transmitting from linear economy to circular economy in the area of Waste Management“.
