PET bottle operators and scavengers in Delta State have accused authorities from the Delta State Ministry of Environment of fraudulent and dubious intimidations.
This may not be unconnected to the arrest of the operators and scavengers over their failure to comply with the state government’s directive to register with the ministry for proper regulation.
The operation led to the arrest of 12 individuals, including operators and scavengers, across at least 10 locations and dump sites who were later chauffeured to a waiting court in the capital city.
One of those arrested, Jude Madaiki Babayi, confirmed that the operators were aware of the registration notice but had registered before while the registration was cancelled by the Secretary to the State Government and they were not refunded the money paid.
He further revealed that, in the previous registration process that was later cancelled, operators had paid for jackets, uniforms, and other items, totalling more than N200,000.
Babayi said the operators wanted to ensure the validity of the new registration system before committing to any further payments.
“We are also concerned about the credibility of the new registration process. The account number given to us is not an official government account, and we need to investigate further before making another payment,” Babayi said.
He explained that they had not refused to register, but the challenge was their inability to raise the N1 million required for registration with the Delta State government.
But in an interview, Sylvester Ofuyekpone, Assistant Director, Department of Sanitation and Waste Management in the ministry, emphasized that the state government had imposed a ban on scavenging without registration.
“For anyone to run a PET bottle collection business, they must have a Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) registration as well as register with the Ministry of Environment.
“To ensure smooth operations, the state had engaged consultants for Delta North, Delta Central, and Delta South. However, despite sensitisation efforts, many operators resisted the registration process.
“As a result, the ministry had no choice but to initiate the crackdown to force compliance.”
Ofuyekpone clarified that paying the fines did not exempt them from completing the registration process with the ministry, noting that each operator was expected to pay an annual registration fee.
Also, John Itinegbedia, a representative of the consulting firm, G-Part E-C Consult Nig. Ltd., added that the raid was a consequence of non-compliance with government directives.
He stressed that the state government, particularly the Secretary to the State Government and the Commissioner for Environment, were dissatisfied with the operators’ refusal to register.
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