ASEPA to Evaluate Ancient Refuse Heap at Orieugba Market Umuahia

The Deputy General Manager, Abia State Environmental Protection Agency, ASEPA, Umuahia Zone, Catechist Ambrose Jonah has assured that the agency will move in immediately to evacuate the refuse heap discovered at the Orieugba market.

Catechist Jonah was speaking on Saturday during his visit to the dump site after his attention was drawn to it by the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Environment on sanitation duties.

Catechist Jonah who described the site as an eyesore, said the agency would mobilise to evacuate it to avoid the outbreak of diseases.

He wondered why such an ancient dump site has not been reported, urging market leaders not to hesitate to report to agencies of government such things that would require attention.

“Honestly, I never expected that by this time, we still have such a huge refuse heap in this place. This is an ancient hill, who knows how many years it has been here. And we’ve not been told about it,” Jonah said.

“Nobody has reported to our office. But my assurance is that by Monday, we are coming in to ensure that we evacuate this hill for the good of the traders within this environment. After the evacuation, we have to put a receptacle there, which we have to be evacuating on a daily basis as we do at other ends of the market.”

He used the opportunity to announce that ASEPA, Umuahia zone would conduct sensitisation programmes in the market to educate the traders in the need to make use of the receptacles in disposing their wastes.