A Frontline Group renowned for her meaningful and selfless roles towards the growth and development of Ika land in terms of electricity supply, provision of pre-paid meters for electricity consumers and security in Ika land, Ika Landlords and Landladies Association in a press briefing during her General Meeting held on Tuesday, 8th March, 2022 at their Secretariat, No. 13 Memeh Street, Boji-Boji, Owa has expressed deep concern over the poor refuse disposal system in Ika land, which comprises Ika North-East and Ika South Local Government Council Areas.
In his address during the meeting, the President of Ika Landlords and Landladies Association, Mr. Vincent Arimokwu expressed concern over the poor refuse disposal in Ika land. He said the Landlords are aware of all the publications, campaigns and threats that the two Ika Council Chairmen that is, Ika South and Ika North-East Local Government Councils have been issuing to the Residents that are disposing off their refuse into the public drains. They have also issued warning that the Residents caught disposing off their refuse inside the drainage system will be prosecuted with the mobile court. The Local Government Council Chairmen have been focusing on the Residents without finding out why the refuse is being dumped into the public drains. And apart from that, they singlehandedly take decisions on the issue of refuse collection and disposal without the input of the Landlords and Landladies Association whom they are providing the services for.
It is our opinion that the Councils are being one sided in the handling of refuse collection and disposal in Ika land. We are aware that they always have meetings with the refuse Contractors (PSP) without inviting the Landlords representatives. They have been taking one sided decisions by only hearing from the Refuse Contractors without an input from the Landlords/Residents by continuously warning that any Residents or Landlord that does not show his or her payment receipt from the Refuse Contractors (PSP) will be prosecuted in the court, without wanting to know if the Refuse Contractors are really carrying the refuse as at when due.
The Council Chairmen have never asked or warned that any Refuse Contractor (PSP) who failed to carry refuse will be prosecuted in the court.
Are the Council Chairmen saying that they are very sure that the PSP Contractors are perfectly doing their work?
How are they checking or supervising the PSP Contractors to make sure they evacuate the refuse from the premises of the Residents?
Can the Council Chairmen tell us the number of times the PSP contractors are supposed to evacuate refuse from individual premises of each Landlord per week?
Where is the law guiding the PSP Contractors?
What is the punishment for any PSP Contractor that fails to carry the refuse or who defaults in his or her duty?
Why are they focusing only on the Landlords/Residents who default?
Or are the Council Chairmen compromising with the PSP Contractors?
For avoidance of doubt, our President is a retired Chief Environmental Health Officer, and as Chairman of Ika Landlords/Landladies Association, he is very much aware that the PSP Contractors who are supposed to collect the refuse from individual premises of the Landlords/Landladies to the final disposal site are not doing their job. They are supposed to go and collect the refuse from individual compounds/houses/premises at least twice every week. But instead of coming twice a week, some come once a month, especially at the end of the month so that they can collect their money for the services not rendered.
Because the PSP Contractors have not been coming regularly to collect refuse from the individual premises/houses, that is why the refuse is littered every where and when there is rain, the wind blows all the accumulated refuse brought out by the Residents in front of their premises for disposal by the PSP into the public drain.It is not true that the Residents/Landlords are the people pouring the refuse into the public as being alleged by the Council Chairmen.
If they want effective and proper refuse disposal system in Ika land, there should be collaboration with the Landlords and Landladies Association, the PSP Refuse Contractors and the two Local Government Councils. There should also be an enactment of a bye-law for the regulation of refuse collection and disposal in Ika Nation, where the functions and responsibilities of the PSP Contractors, the Residents and the Councils will be specified respectively and punishments for PSP and the Residents who contravene the law. It is not a matter of the Council being one sided by threatening to prosecute the Residents who contravene without making sure that PSP Contractors who contravene are also prosecuted.
According to the Local Government Councils, any Landlord/Landlady/ Resident who fail to show the receipt issued by the PSP Contractors will be prosecuted.
Can the issuance of receipt be a legal evidence of compliance with the rules and regulations of refuse disposal in Ika land?
Suppose after showing receipt of payment to the PSP Contractor, the person still disposes off the refuse into the public drains, what happens?
It is our opinion and believes that the two Council Chairmen, Ika South and Ika North-East are deliberately intimidating the Landlords/Residents without minding the lapses of the PSP Refuse Contractors whom the Councils refused to supervise.
We, the Ika Landlords/Landladies Association are very much ready to cooperate with the Councils in making sure that refuse collection and disposal in Ika land are successfully carried out provided we are carried along.
MR. VINCENT ARIMOKWU
President,
Ika Landlords/Landladies
