The Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA), has commenced door-to-door waste collection in selected areas across the state, and street-to-street collections in parts of Abia North to enhance sanitation and public health.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the outcome of this week’s Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
According to the Commissioner, the new initiative “has elicited joy among the residents in the affected towns and cities and commendations from within and outside the State.
“Of course, the state of cleanliness of the state has become a subject of discussions within and outside the state, with many commending the Dr. Allex Oti-Led administration for the feat of turning Abia from the dirtiest States to one of the cleanest in the country today in under two years”, Kanu said.
He revealed that has ASEPA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with an experienced Waste Management firm to transition from a linear to a circular economy model.
Prince Kanu said that the MoU includes plans for waste recycling and conversion into energy adding that discussions on the waste-to-energy project have reached advanced stages and are expected to be launched soon.
The Commissioner appealed to residents to increase their compliance in paying ASEPA sanitation fees, noting that the revised rates are among the lowest in the southeastern region.
“Payment of these sanitation fees will help them to sustain their services to Abians and Abian citizens at large”, he emphasized.
The Commissioner further disclosed that the State Government has also reopened the abattoirs in Lokpanta and Uzoakoli which had been previously shut down due to poor hygienic conditions but have now undergone thorough renovations and retrofitting.
“Both abattoirs have undergone renovations and retrofitting, and are ready and fit for public use once more.
