A group under the aegis of Kano River Line Communities Development Forum, has called on the Federal Government to ensure that only qualified companies are awarded contract for the cleaning of toxic waste in the affected communities.
The spokesman of the Forum, Dr Baba Sani-Wudil, made the call while addressing a news conference in Kano on Wednesday.
Sani-Wudil said the Federal Government since 2006 was aware of the toxic waste which conterminated Wudil and Jakara rivers and was coming from Sharada, Chalawa and Bompai industrial estates.
He said the forum found it necessary to raise the issue because information at its disposal indicated that the Permanent Secretary from the Ecological Trust Funds had awarded contract to another firm instead of Dutch Africa company.
“The Dutch Africa company is the local company that collaborated with the Germans to actualise the project.
“We are shocked with the news that the Ecological Fund Office has decided to deal with an unknown contractor in building waste treatment plants for Kano State,” he said.
According to him, investigation conducted by the group had shown that the new company lacked the required experience in this line of work.
“This unfortunate development is unacceptable. Our group has decided not to abandon our rights but fight for what we feel should come to Kano State, especially after the huge support given to the project by President Muhammadu Buhari and the traditional ruler of Kano.
“It is our opinion that this contract should be awarded to the most qualified company, Dutch Africa which made all the research and development required to design the best and most efficient method of cleaning this toxic effluent.
“The toxic effluent has been affecting the lives of our families, animals and farms for more than a decade and Dutch Africa has been involved in the project from inception,” Sani-Wudil said.
He said that beside engaging many stakeholders, including the state government, emirate council and concerned groups, the Dutch Africa had also promised to train 250 youths in Germany on industrial waste management.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to intervene in the issue to ensure that the right thing was done by the agency concerned.
This, according to him, will send signals to public officials in all organisations to sit up and serve the interest of the public rather than take suspicious decisions against the interest of Nigerians.