Oyo Waste Contractors Reject 250k Compulsory Fee, Threaten Showdown With Consultant
Waste Contractors in Oyo state have threatened showdown with the Consultant in charge, Mottainai Recycling company over a 250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand naira) newly introduced compulsory fee.
This was as the waste contractors insisted that the primary focus of the consultant on making money at the expense of service has continued to widened deficits in the environmental sector, and has become worrisome stressing that members are already being mobilized across the state to embark on a protest to the governor’s office to register their frustration.
According to a circular tagged “Minimum Requirement For Pre-registration MAFS” from Mottainai Recycling, a copy of which was made available to newsmen, the company directed all waste contractors in the state to make payment of 250,000 (two hundred and fifty thousand naira) for compactor trucks and 200,000 (two hundred thousand naira) for open trucks respectively as part of pre-qualification exercise for the zero waste initiative.
Mr. Henry Olayinka Kayode, one of the waste contractors and leaders of the waste contractors association told journalists on Monday in Ibadan that the newly introduced fee was unacceptable to members alleging that its purpose was self serving as operators all paid the sum of 500,000 each to get licensed by the state to begin operation in 2019.
Consequently, the waste contractors have raised a fresh alarm over the new directive by the waste consultant, and calling on Governor Seyi Makinde to immediately wade in to stop what they described as the ongoing barefaced exploitation that has made many members seriously indebted to banks and other financial institutions via loans.
“All the excuses given by the consultant the last time were not only flimsies but untenable because he himself, who we all know is a waste contractor in Lagos can not accept or operate under such exploitative and self serving policies. His excuses are just a means of covering what’s going on and except our governor is willing and ready to sit down with the stakeholders, we will keep going round the surface level.” Olayinka said.
The waste contractors have among others alleged that it was the introduction of consultancy to waste management that has worsen the situation noting that they were able to deliver efficiently under during the first term of the late governor Abiola Ajimobi’s administration without any consultant.
Recall that the waste contractors in a save our soul message to Governor Seyi Makinde earlier last week had accused Mottainai Recycling company among others, of Highhandedness, politicization of their operations and impounding their trucks arbitrarily without any established offenses or compliance with the dictates of relevant state environmental laws or pronouncement by the special court established by law to pronounce sanctions and penalties.
Other allegations of the waste contractors against the consultant also include deliberate attempt to frustrate their members covering what they described as prime or highbrow areas within Ibadan metropolis with an ulterior intent to redesignate such routes to others alleged to be friends and allies of the consultant.
Mottainai Recycling in its reaction to the save our soul message to Governor by the waste contractors disclosed that the company’s contract with the state government was based on a franchise model contrary to the PSP system that used to be in place before the company came on board, while describing the operators agitation as “corruption fighting back”.
According to the new circular from the consultant to all waste contractors in the state, the payment of 250,000 for compactors and 200,000 for open trucks are part of the minimum requirements applicable for the zero waste initiative under Mottainai Recycling.
The company however, pointed out that the compulsory fee is merely a pre-qualification requirement and not a guarantee that such operator having made payment automatically qualifies as a Mottainai Accredited Operator.
“This is part of the steps to pre-qualification process and not the accreditation of the operators as a Mottainai Accredited Operators.” The circular stated.
As contained in the company’s circular, the waste contractors were directed to make the payment into a designated bank (name withheld) account in favor of Mottainai Recycling.
