Refuse litter Onitsha as contractor, staff protest non-payment of 5 months’ salary

Onitsha, the commercial nerve centre of the South-East Region has recently assumed the unofficial position of one of the filthiest towns in the region followed by Aba another commercial town in Abia State.

However, recently Onitsha, Anambra State, has continued to exhibit the scenes of a dirty environment due to the inability of contractors saddled with the responsibility of timely evacuation of refuse to carry out their assignment diligently.

At various areas in Onitsha heaps of refuse are seen littered along the roads, especially at Court Road, Onitsha North Local Government Area which is designated as refuse dumps site.

It was gathered that the inability of the settlement of the contractors of their financial entitlements led to contractors downing their tools.

The alleged inability of the authority saddled with the payment has failed to fulfill her own part of the obligation is currently affecting the sanitary condition of those living in Onitsha North and the entire vicinity.

At Court Road, a major link to Onitsha Central Police Station (COS) Area Command and the judiciary which are situated along Enugu Road, heaps of refuse have created a scenery of filth whereby motorists almost find it difficult to gain access to the road as refuse has taken over half of the road.

The area which also accommodates Onitsha Recreation Club which is standing adjacent to the refuse dump has thrown food vendors and other artisans operating in the area into confusion as to the rate of customers who used to patronize them have dwindled due to offensive odour oozing out from the refuse dumpsite.

It was gathered from one of the staff working with the refuse company who declined to give her name for fear of being victimized that the inability of the State Government to pay the contractor has led to the abandonment of the contractor’s responsibility.

She disclosed that staffs of the company were being owed five months’ salary due to non-payment of the state government to the contractor.

She said that she was not sure if the payment would be made so that workers of the refuse company could be settled as the tenure of the present government in the state was fast winding up.

Efforts to get the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Onitsha North Local Government, Hon. Agha Mba, to speak on the issue proved abortive as he didn’t pick numerous phone calls put across to him.

(Daily Independent)