By Umar Muhammad Puma
The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) told House of Representatives Committee on Environment that it has spent over N3. 6 billion, to construct three solid waste transfer stations as well as purchase equipment for waste management in the capital city.
The Acting Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) Mrs. Aisha Adebayo made the disclosure while speaking at an interactive session with the Rep UcheEkwunife chairman House Committee on Environment at the National Assembly.
She said the contract for the construction of three waste transfer stations “was awarded in 2011 at the sum of N2, 957, 572, 096. 35.”
She added that though the project had been impeded by a number of challenges, “it is about 39. 5 percent completed.”
According to her, the waste transfer stations with a combined capacity of 13,000 tons/ day, “will be equipped with waste sorting facilities, thereby promoting waste recycling and resource utilization with the associated environmental benefits to the Territory.”
She also told the committee that “ contract for the supply of 6 units Roll-On- Roll- Off (RORO) Trucks was awarded in March, 2012 at a contract sum of N203, 590, 497.36. The project has been partly executed with the supply of 2 units.”
Disclosing further, she said another contractfor the supply of 12 units Motorized Street Sweepers was awarded in January, 2012 at a contract sum of N405, 677, 546.40, adding that the project has been fully executed and commissioned.
According to her, central sewage system is employed for liquid waste management in the FCT.
“The sewage system, which is a separate system, is composed of a sewer network of about 700 kilometres and about 90 -kilometre trunk line.”
Earlier,The Chairman of the Committee, Rep UcheEkwunife, had said her committee, was interested in how far the Board has gone on the issue of sanitary landfills and waste treatment plants.
While commending the AEPB in its effort so far at ensuring a clean and green city particularly within the city centre,Ekwunife, said there is also need to concentrate on the satellite towns.
“We would very much like to see a situation where the satellite towns are looking as clean and green as the city centre,” she said.
The lawmaker however wondered how the waste transfer stations with sorting facilities would effectively function when the citizens that would generate the waste have not been enlightened on how to sort their waste for recycling purposes.
She charged AEPB to adopt a more effective waste collection procedure and to do more in enlightening the residents of the FCT, in order to make the efforts of the Board more effective.
