Imo partners German firm on clean environment
Chigozie Amadi
Imo State government and a German firm, Eastern Waste Management Company Limited, have entered into a pact on how to achieve a clean, hygienic, and environmentally-friendly state through proper waste gathering and recycling.
Outside achieving an environmentally hygienic and friendly Imo State, the company was also committed to the creation of employment within the ecosystem.
The state government and the German firm formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding to seal the deal at the office of the state governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma in Owerri.
The Secretary to the State Government, Cosmos Iwu, and the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Majority Emenike, signed on behalf of the Imo State Government while the Managing Director, Njoku Cyril and Agbi Isimeme, signed for the German company.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony, Uzodimma said that his government agreed with the company to ensure Imo people enjoy a clean and hygienic environment, relying on the past performance of the company in other states and even the pilot performance they carried out in some parts of the state recently.
Uzodimma said, “My government/administration entered into this agreement with the German company to ensure that Imolites enjoy a clean and hygienic environment. I did it due to the company’s past track records.”
He, however, explained that the state government passed the Private Public Partnership Law No. 11 in 2018 to enable the government to partner with private establishments to optimize valued and utilization of opportunities for the people.
The governor noted that the government had a responsibility to identify partners that had track records of performance and achievements and maintained that EWMCL had been chosen to introduce cleanliness and hygiene to the Imo State environment and to facilitate job creation.
Earlier, the leader of the team, Reverend Father Gerald Njoku, informed that EWMCL had the capacity in waste gathering and recycling as well as expertise in the areas of clean environment and ecosystem management.
The cleric added that the activities of the firm in Imo State would be broad-based because they would bring in equipment that would burn and recycle waste using incinerators.
