The new General Manager of Niger State Environmental Protection Agency (NISEPA), Dr. Abubakar Mohammed, has described the agency as key to the success of the Urban Renewal Policy of Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago-led administration in the state.
The General Manager gave the assurance during an interactive session with the staff of the agency on his assumption in his office on Wednesday in Minna.
He explained that Governor Umaru Bago has special interest in the organization against the backdrop of its importance to the actualization of the state’s urban renewal policy.
Dr. Abubakar observed that the urban renewal policy would only be possible when there is a clean and serene environment, adding that NISEPA is the agency to provide such a clean and serene environment.
“The urban renewal project of the State Governor is hinged on a lot of fulcrums and one of the cardinal fulcrums is the environment. There is no way you cannot succeed and have a sustainable urban renewal without a clean and sustainable environment, and this is where NISEPA will come into play,” said the new NISEPA boss.
He explained further that the waste management process is not only the responsibility of NISEPA, saying it is a process where every stakeholder must be involved to take responsibility for the waste he or she generated.
Dr. Abubakar noted that the Governor had given him a matching order to change the face of the agency and make it to be a revenue generating agency that can stand on its own within the next six months.
He emphasized his readiness to add value and move the agency forward, but not to witch-hunt anyone, pointing out that anyone who stands on his way towards achieving his goal would be moved aside as “it is not going to be business as usual.”
The NISEPA boss, who said he had seen an already established organization where he can build upon the gains of the past, solicited for the support and cooperation of all staff of the agency towards actualisation of the mandate given to him, adding that there is no way he can succeed without their support.
In her welcome address to the new NISEPA General Manager earlier, the overseeing General Manager, Hajiya Halimat Yakubu Ndanusa, said they were happy to receive the new General Manager whom she pointed out that with his experience in waste management, NISEPA will move to greater heights.
She enumerated some of the challenges the agency was confronted with to include funding and lack of the right equipment as the ones they were using were not the 21st Century waste management standard equipment, expressing belief that the coming of the new General Manager will facilitate the provision of the right equipment.
Hajiya Halimat Ndanusa also assured the new General Manager that the staff of the agency were dedicated to their duties, adding that they will give him their maximum cooperation to move the agency forward.
. TheWitness
