David Williams
The Ekiti State Government has procured additional four new heavy-duty waste trucks.
The government has also increased the salary of over seven hundred street sweepers in the state to enhance waste management and environmental sanitation.
Unveiling the new waste trucks in Ado-Ekiti, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Oyeniyi Adebayo said the initiative was part of the efforts of Governor Biodun Oyebanji in ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment.
He charged residents to join hands with the state government in its efforts to manage waste, reduce environmental pollution and mitigate the effects of climate change.
On her part, the Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Mrs Tosin Aluko commended Governor Oyebanji’s unwavering commitment to environmental sustainability and public health in the state.
She emphasized that the acquisition of additional new trucks is another testament to the governor’s proactive leadership and genuine concern for the well-being of Ekiti people adding that the initiative will help the agency to cover more grounds, respond faster to waste collection needs and improve the cleanliness of the state.
Also, the Director General, Ekiti State Waste Management Authority EKSWAMA, Mr Olasunkanmi Onipede explained that the new equipments would improve the agency’s efforts of refuse collection and disposal to address the challenges in waste management.
He announced that the governor had also increased the salaries of sweepers, operatives, supervisors and drivers in the agency for the second time to enhance its drive for a cleaner and healthier environment in Ekiti.
According to Mr Onipede, Ekiti State had over 700 sweepers, including operatives and the drivers.
He noted that the sweepers were formerly earning twelve thousand naira (12,000), but the governor had increased their salary to thirty five thousand naira (35,000).
Governor Oyebanji has equally jacked up the salaries of operatives from twenty thousand naira to fifty thousand naira, drivers from twenty five thousand naira to fifty thousand naira, and the Supervisors from fifteen thousand naira to forty thousand naira.
