The Anambra State Government has threatened to terminate contracts of waste management companies engaged to collect and dispose refuse across the state, if they underperform.
The Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odumegwu, said this in Awka on Tuesday while reacting to the complaints of poor waste collection in the capital city and other areas.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that 31 companies had been contracted by the state government to manage waste collection and disposal since July 1.
Mr Odumegwu said the contractors who had three months probation period were assigned to manage each of the 30 state constituencies with an additional one for Idemili North.
He said the emergency on waste evacuation declared by Governor Chukwuma Soludo was still in force and that the ministry was monitoring activities of contractors closely to ensure they met the demands of the job.
According to him, government will not take under performance from anybody, noting that it was conscious of the three months probation.
“We are looking at the performances of the contractors handling Awka South, Onitsha South, Idemili North, Ogbaru. We are working to get them to improve on the job they have applied and have been employed to do.
“With effect from July 1, the contractors moved to site and evacuation has begun, so steadily and progressively, the heaps of garbage have started disappearing.
“The governor’s intention is to ensure that every part of the state is clean,” he said.