Ini Billie, Uyo
Uyo Village Road, a single-lane road adjacent to Government House, has begun to collapse owing to the activities of waste trucks plying the route to empty their refuse on the dumpsite, which is located beside the road.
The greater portion of the laterite and asphalt have given way, making the road somewhat narrow, and with no attention paid to its maintenance over the years.
The Secretary to the Akwa Ibom State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, said on Tuesday that the order is given to enforce the truck drivers to empty their refuse deep down the ravine rather than dumping them by the roadside, just metres away from the ravine.
According to him, the actions of the truck drivers have led to blockage of the access to the Uyo Village Road to motorists.
Ekuwem, who said this during the inspection of the dump site with officials of the Ministry of Environment, and Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwem, directed the creation of an asphalt inroad 50 meters from the main road into the ravine.
Ekuwem said the inroad would serve as a remedial measure toward clearing up the dump site. He explained that waste trucks would be able to drive into the ravine where the refuse will be dumped and save the already crumbling road due to the waste dumped on it.
“As part of remedial measures toward clearing up the menace of the dump site, an asphalt inroad should be created to enable trucks to drive about 50 metres from the road into the ravine where the refuse will be dumped to stop the damaging effect of roadside dumping of refuse,” he said.
The SSG directed the Commissioner for Works, Dr Eno Ibanga, and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Hensek Construction Integrated Services, Engr. Uwem Okoko, to work out the engineering content of the remedial work plan for the Uyo Village Road, within 48 hours in collaboration with the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, Prince Akpan Ikim.
He mentioned that the waste could be converted into needed energy and power for consumption, and called on the Commissioner for Power, Dr John Etim to reactivate plans for the recycling of the waste into a veritable source of energy for the state.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency, Prince Akpan Ikim said the tour would help the government appraise the dump site and seek short and long-term measures to check the menace it has become.
lkim who stated that over 18,000 tons of waste are generated daily for the dump site, noted that there was an urgent need for a new, clean and larger dump site outside the state capital.
He said a conveyor belt would be required to recycle the waste as well as provide a more convenient and conducive environment with a good accessible road for the dumping of refuse.