CLO Wants Declaration Of Emergency On ESWAMA

The Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Enugu branch, has called on the Enugu State Government to declare a state of emergency on activities of the Enugu State Waste Management Authority (ESWAMA).

 The call was contained in a petition to Gov Sullivan Chime signed by state CLO chairman, Mr Osmond Ugwu.

The petition, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Enugu, said the call had become imperative, alleging “total decay” of the agency.

Correspondents say copies of the petition were also sent to the Enugu State House of Assembly,  the Head of Service,  the Nigeria Labour Congress and Catholic Lay Apostolate Organisation.

He said the declaration of the state of emergency would help the government to correct the “series of anomalies in the agency such as diversion of government revenue into private pockets”.

The petition called for urgent re-organisation of the system and the settlement of 15 months salary arrears owed to workers.

It also alleged that workers were being owed nine years leave allowance and that their promotions were held back for six years as well as non payment of hazard allowance.

According to the petition, monies generated from the sale of buckets, waste disposal bags and emblems were diverted into private pockets.

It also said that revenue from fines by individual offenders, impounded vehicles, sanitation rates, residential homes and  businesses never reached the agency’s coffers.

“The position at ESWAMA is tantamount to human degradation and outright violation of human dignity,” the petition stated and called for urgent steps to improve workers’ conditions of service.

 Attempt to get  the reaction of the newly appointed Acting Managing Director of the Agency, Mrs Chinyere Ogakwu, to the petition, failed as she said “I am just new. I will not want to go into that discussion for now.