The National President, National Association of Scrap and Waste dealers of Nigeria, NASWDEN, Comrade Ogbu Luke Uchechukwu disclosed at the weekend that the union is partnering with the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Security Service, DSS to put an end to the operations of scavengers in the country.
Uchechukwu who took over as the national President of the union about a month ago assured that the union will partner with state governors, commissioners and stakeholders to eradicate operations of scavenging all over the country.
The President said the union is working with the Nigerian Police Force, NPF, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Security Service, DSS to ensure scavengers operation is stopped. “We are also in partnership with the ministry of mines and steel and the ministry of industry trade and investment. The union has signed an MOU with these ministries to see how the government can come fully into the business.
He disclosed this while addressing the media in Anuja, lamenting that the issue of scavenging in the country is a thorn in the flesh. The union has designed a means to arrest the situation. The minister of the federal capital territory FCT Nyesom Wike has banned the operations of scavengers in the city. They have been banned in Enugu, Rivers and so many other states of the federations.
According to him, ‘We are appealing to state governors and ministries to assist the union. Another challenge are the buyers, if there are no buyers these thieves will not be encouraged, We are seriously working on our people never to buy these stolen items, if in any way they are caught we will hand them over to the police. The Nigerian security agencies are seriously behind us to ensure we arrest the situation”.
The case of double taxation for the transportation of scrap is alarming.
conveying scrap from Rivers state to Benin or Lagos and other parts of the country is terribly expensive, , our people spend over five hundred thousand on the highway. These money is spent at nipping points on police, soldiers and hoodlums. These security agencies and hoodlums use sticks, matchets nails and cutlasses to stop vehicles carrying scraps. The union has deviced a means in the next few weeks to clear the hoodlums from the highways.
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