Stop extorting money from shop owners, Ebonyi Commissioner for Environment warns taskforce

By Nwogha Ndubuisi, Abakaliki

Ebonyi state Commissioner for Environment, Hon Victor Chukwu has denied the approval for the selling of sanitation bucket to shop owners in Abakaliki an. The state Commissioner made the disclosure during interaction with newsmen at Nkaliki on Thursday,7th December,2023. Chukwu who said his ministry is not saddled with the responsibility of collecting revenue described the taskforce team as rogue and ordered for their arrest.

"I did not authorize anybody to go collect tolls for me. "We are not into tolls collection.I have to pick some people parading themselves to be collecting tolls for the ministry, thereby, asking people to pay for sanitation bucket. "I have to take them to police and I am going to refund them whatever payment they have made to IGR board because they went in disguise to exploit people to a point of asking somebody to pay #8,500 for a sanitary bucket. He explained that the ministry has directed residents of Abakaliki to bag their waste in a disposable sack and would not in turn send task force to levy them.

"I can't ask people to bag their waste and at the same time selling sanitation bucket, so, whenever anybody come to your shop asking you to pay, reach me on phone immediately for the person arrest. "I have tried to sensitive our people, we are not IGR ministry, but for environmental safety ready to offer service to our people. "My ministry is not for revenue collection, it's solely for service to Ebonyi people, anybody coming to you asking for payment in any guise is not just a rogue, but supposedly apprehended as a criminal. he further emphasized.