The Government of Imo State and a popular German firm called Eastern Waste Management Company Limited have entered into a pact on how to achieve a clean, hygienic and environmentally friendly State via proper waste gathering and recycling.

Beyond achieving a clean, hygienic and environmentally friendly Imo State, the Company has also committed to the creation of employment within the ecosystem.

The Imo State government and the German firm formally signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to seal the deal in the office of the Governor of Imo State, Sen. Hope Uzodimma in Owerri on Friday.

The Secretary to the Imo State Government, Chief Cosmos Iwu and the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Barr. Majority Emenike signed on behalf of the Imo State government while Njoku Cyril Uche and Agbi Isimeme, Managing Director and Deputy Managing Director respectively, signed for their German counterparts.

Addressing the audience prior the signing ceremony, Governor Uzodimma said that his government entered into the agreement with the Company “to ensure Imo people enjoy clean and hygienic environment, relying on the past performance of the Company in other States and even the pilot performance they carried out in some parts of the State recently.”

He explained that Imo State Government passed the Private Public Partnership (PPP), Law No 11 in 2018, “to enable government partner with private establishments to optimise values and utilisation of opportunities for the people.”

The Governor noted that government has a responsibility to identify partners that are known and have track records of performance and achievements and maintained that the Eastern Waste Management Company Limited has been brought to introduce cleanliness, hygiene to the Imo State environment and to facilitate job creation.

He emphasised that funding and the cost of keeping the environment clean in relation to lean resources of the State have made it necessary that government partners with companies and agencies in critical areas as to achieve result.

Governor Uzodimma said that the agreement had been vetted by the Attorney General of the State and that he has no hesitation in committing the government to the partnership.

He therefore urged the technical and financial partners to live up to the expectations “so that our people will get maximum benefit of the project.”

Earlier, the leader of the team, Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Gerald Njoku informed that the Eastern Waste Management Company Limited has capacity in waste gathering and recycling as well as expertise in the areas of clean environment and eco-system management.

Reverend Njoku added that the activities of the firm Imo State will be broad-based because ‘they will bring in equipment that will burn and recycle waste using incinerators.”

“Their activities will, in addition, create jobs for the teaming unemployed youths who will be engaged in the various areas of the Company’s project.”

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