Five construction companies in the Federal Capital Territory
(FCT) have provided 20 trucks to support Abuja Environmental Protection Board
(AEPB) for waste evacuation in the territory.

The companies are Julius Beggar Nigeria Plc, Dantata and
Sawoe Nigeria Ltd and Groove Nigeria Ltd as well as Salini Ltd and COAN West
Africa, Nigeria Ltd.

Alhaji Isa Shuaibu, the Director of AEPB, made the fact
known on Sunday in Abuja while monitoring waste evacuation in the city.

Shuaibu said the gesture by the companies was to support the
board from time to time to ensure effective cleaning of the city.

The director said the vehicles would work for two days and
would be deployed to different parts of the city to convey waste to designated
dumpsites.

He commended the companies for their support and said the
gesture would go a long way in addressing the challenge of waste evacuation in
the FCT.

Shuaibu said the board would continue to reach out to other
organisations to support AEPB to achieve the herculean task of maintaining a
disease free capital city.

“We are grateful to some of these companies who have
supported us with machines to supplement our machines for waste evacuation.

‘We are calling on other organisations to also support us to
achieve the herculean task of waste evacuation,’’ he said.

The director warned traders of Nyanya market, a suburb in
the FCT against indiscriminate dumping of refuse around the market environment.

Shuaibu threatened to close-down the market if traders
continued to sabotage sanitary measures in the area but assured the traders of
regular evacuation of refuse.

He said that agents of AEPB would be assigned to designated
areas to monitor dumping of refuse in refuse bins and to report to contractors
for onward evacuation.

“I am warning you against indiscriminate dumping of refuse
and I am using this opportunity to urge traders to police this market against
abuses of sanitary rules.

“If this habit continues, we will have no option than to
close down the market because we know the magnitude of waste that emanates from
this market,’’ he said.

Shuaibu however, assured the traders that the FCTA would
collaborate with Nasarawa State Government to bring an end to the
inter-boundary transfer of refuse.

Responding, Mr Ikenna Madunagu, Chairman of Nyanya All
Traders Association, complained that some of the refuse came from the
neighbouring communities in Nasarawa State.

Madunagu maintained that the waste dumping point available
would not contain the pressure from both traders and residents of Nyanya.

“Most of the refuse dumped here is coming from Mararaba and
Masaka axis.

“Some residents from the neighboring communities prefer to
dump their refuse here while driving into the city.

“Our traders alone cannot generate such magnitude of waste
and we are appealing to the AEPB to ensure regular evacuation of this waste to
prevent this area from pollution,’’ he said.

The Tide reports that the board deployed trucks to convey
waste from Nyanya, Lugbe, Utako and Garki Market to designated dump-sites.