Niger Sacks DGs of Education Board, Sustainable Devt Goals Agency

  Refuse heaps take over major streets

Laleye Dipo in Minna

The Head of the Niger State Universal Basic Education Board (NSUBEB) Alhaji Isah Adamu and Head  of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Alhaji Abdullahi Arah, have been sacked by the state government for alleged “infraction.”

This happened just as huge heaps of refuse have surfaced at different locations in major towns of  the state, according to  investigation by THISDAY.

The Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Alhaji Ahmed Ibrahim Matane, who sack of the DGs this to THISDAY,  said the agency heads were also removed because they failed to carry along other members of their agencies  in the day-to-day administration of the organisations.

Matane said on two occasions the state Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello personally  intervened in the feud between the agency heads and other board members but they failed to heed the governor’s advice.

“The suspension letter sent to Alhaji Isah Adamu signed by the SSG  also said his removal is as a result of  some observed anomalies in the operations of the board.

Meanwhile,  Alhaji Nafuntua Abubakar Shehu has been approved as the new Chairman of NSUBEB.

A letter sacking Alhaji Abdullahi Arah as the DG of  SDGs said: “the removal of the DG is to facilitate, accelerated implementation of the reforms being initiated by the government towards attainment of the SDGs in the state”

Matane told THISDAY that the sacked DG has shown incapability  to pilot the affairs of his office even as he said that no element of the SDGs programme has been achieved under the watch of the sacked DG.

The most senior officer in the scheme has been told to take over the running of the affairs of the organization pending the appointment of a substantive head.

THISDAY gathered that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) visited the NSUBEB headquarters in Minna on Friday but it could not be confirmed if any arrest was made or the motive behind their visit.

Meanwhile, huge heaps of refuse have surfaced at different locations in major towns of Niger State.

The refuse heaps  have become centre of attraction for animals especially goats and dogs that patronise the dumps for what to eat.

According to the investigation, the major cities of Minna, Suleja, Bida and Kontagora are worse affected as the heaps of refuse have become an eyesore to the residents.

The huge heap  of refuse dump opposite the Kure Ultra Modern market in Minna the investigation revealed  now denies those having shops around the area of customers because those who patronize the market avoid the area due to  the offensive smell from the dump site.

One Ismaila Mohammed, who operated a fruit shop near the refuse dump, has vacated the area because of lack of patronage caused by the smell from the dump site.

Mohammed claimed several reports made to the government has not yielded any positive results.

Similarly a Church along Yoruba road said several letters were written to the Niger State Environmental Protection Agency to stop the dumping of refuse in the drainage near the church and also clear the refuse already dumped has failed.

It was also discovered that most of the drainages in Minna have been turned to refuse dump sites resulting in overflow of water to the residences of the people.

The investigation revealed that the situation is not helped by the privatisation of refuse collection by the state government which has failed to honour its part of the agreement to the companies assigned the job of clearing the refuse.

Aside from this, both the companies and the government are discovered not to have enough refuse collection vans to evacuate the refuse resulting in tippers being hired to do the little job they can do.

The indiscriminate dumping of refuse and inability of the authorities to check the trend and evacuate the dump sites is now creating fears of the outbreak of epidemic in the state.

The General Manager of the Niger State Environmental Protection Agency, Mr.  Habib Abdulkadir, said  the  government is facing the  challenge inadequate funding and   residents’  failure to pay levies.

The Commissioner for Environment and Forestry, Mr Daniel Habila Galadima, in a recent interview confirmed the existence of huge refuse heaps around the state, saying the government is overwhelmed by the situation. Galadima also blamed the rise in the pump price of diesel for the situation.