The Katsina State chapter of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers, Employers of Nigeria, has inaugurated a 200-member task force committee to tackle vandals hiding under their umbrella.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that during the inauguration in Katsina on Saturday, the association also launched its newly elected executive members in the state.
Aminu Soja, the North Regional President of the association, said the aim of the committee was to curtail vandalism in the state.
Mr Soja said: “There is no doubt, vandalism has now become a serious threat to the nation, and Katsina in particular, and accusing fingers are pointing at our members.
“To show the world that we are not vandals, criminals or thieves, but we are doing our legal businesses, that’s why we inaugurated this task force committee.
“The aim is to complement the efforts of government in tackling the activities of vandals in the nation, this is the focus of the committee.
“Our business is about buying and selling metals. I can confidently say that this business is contributing so much to the country’s economy, apart from reducing unemployment.”
He also revealed that scrap and waste dealers also clean the environment, and control the country’s economy through the supply of raw materials to over 70 per cent of Nigerian companies.
“Some of the companies we supply with the raw materials include steel, plastic, and also roofing sheets, where we supply them with scrap metals. We support the country’s economy through sustaining the recycling industry.
“Because without our activities, no investor will come to Nigeria because they can not see raw materials to process and make finished products.
“Also, most of our companies will wind-up because there’s no raw materials for them to process. This is where we contribute to the development of the country’s economy,” he said.
The regional president further explained that across the country, they have over 5 million members engaging and benefitting from the business, while Katsina accounted for over 200,000 members.
Also speaking, a member of Katsina State House of Assembly, representing Funtua constituency, Abubakar Total, said the assembly was not planning to ban the scrap activities, but trying to sanitise the business.
According to Mr Total, there are some bad elements hiding under the association to vandalise and steal public and other people’s property in the state.
He explained that the assembly only urged the government to find a way of regulating their activities by engaging the leadership of the association and other relevant stakeholders.
NAN
