The Enugu State Waste Management Agency (ESWAMA) has urged residents of the state to pay their sanitation levies promptly to assist government in its quest to maintain a healthy environment.
The Managing Director of ESWAMA, Mrs Amaka Anajemba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the agency had challenges of many residents not meeting up with their yearly sanitation levies.
“There has been an increased awareness in daily sanitation as well as compliance with the state’s monthly sanitation by the residents of the state.
“Also, there has been more compliance on bagging of waste and people avoiding to dump refuse indiscriminately in unauthorized locations, which is a good development for the environment and ESWAMA.
“However, the agency’s major challenge is the issue of payment of sanitation levies; which is the minimal for various classes of residents.
“The people living in duplex in housing estates in the coal city (Enugu) pay between N5,000 and N6,000 per year for sanitation depending on the amount of refuse generated.
“Those in flats pay N3,600 per year and those in a room self-contain and one room pay N1,200 per year as their sanitation levies .
“They are expected to pay to designated banks and collect their receipts from the agency,’’ she said.
Anajemba, who did not disclose the amount being owed the agency, noted that the payment would definitely improve the sanitation and wellbeing of the state.
She said that the agency on its own had improved both in equipment, man-power and attitude of its staff to serve the people better.
“The state government had recently procured four refuse compactor trucks to complement the existing trucks for refuse collection; while the agency had increased its working days from five days to seven days per week.
“The agency’s staff had been re-trained to be civil and polite while discharging their daily duties.
“It has been about five months now that we last received any negative or uncomplimentary reports concerning our staff,’’ she said. (NAN)