February 05, (THEWILL) – The National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria (NASWDEN), has appealed to the Borno State Government to lift the ban on scrap and waste trade and dealings in the state.
The Regional President of the Association, Comrade Aminu Hassan Soja, appealed while addressing a news conference in Kano, on Monday.
Soja said that the ban had crippled the economy of a significant number of individuals, firms and corporate entities within and outside the State and that lifting it would revive the state and the affected corporate entities and individuals.
“The ban has crippled the economy of a significant number of individuals, firms and corporate entities within and outside the State and it is threatening the survival of numerous law-abiding citizens, especially at this awful moment of economic and financial hardship.
“It is evident that scrap and waste remain indispensable raw materials for production and fabrication of different essential products and commodities locally and internationally,” he said.
Similarly, the Association urged the Borno State Government, to lift the ban on the Federal roads that link the state with neighbouring countries which serve as the major trade route for importation of scraps through the Channels.
It said this ban is also threatening the Economy of the State and the Nation, as well as “frightens the survival of some firms and corporate entities.”
The Association, however, commended the efforts of the Borno State Government in guaranteeing the safety of the State and improving the security situation, but urged the Government to “augment such efforts with feasible and realistic mechanisms.”
NASWDEN then decried media reports associating the recent incident of a detonated device that exploded and killed people at Gubio town, in the state with an unknown scavenger that stored various metallic items in a building close to an Almajiri School.
“It is worth noting that the Borno State Government has banned scavenging and any sort of scrap and waste dealing activity in Borno State, since July 2023 and being a law-abiding Association, NASWDEN refrained from any dealing thereof in Borno State and also called on its member to abide by the directives, consequent upon which members of the Association clogged all dealings relating to scrap and waste in the State.
“Following the reports of some media houses as painted above regarding the incident, the Association conducted an in-depth investigation and made thorough enquiries aiming at discovering the facts and realities surrounding the incident and it was found that some of the reports were delineated out of some misconceived information.
“The investigation revealed that the Explosive Device was detonated in a building close to one Almajiri School (Tsangaya), but it has no connection with scavenging scrap or waste occupational dealings as all members of the Association desist from any activity relating to scrap or waste under the ban issued by the Borno State Government,” the association added.
About the Author
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
