By Chijindu Emeruwa.
The All Progressives Congress Gubernatorial Candidate for the 2023 elections in Abia state, Dr Uchechukwu Sampson Ogah (OON), has disclosed his agenda for waste management when elected into the office of the Governor come 2023.
He said upon assumption of office as state governor his administration shall commence a waste2wealth Initiative that will see private service providers(PSPs) being signed on by government to collect trash from designated points in the cities and towns and depositing same to an electricity generating incineration plant.
Ogah who was also an ex-minister of State for Mines and Steel Development, speaking on Tuesday, on the background of his developmental agenda when supported to successfully emerge Abia Governor in the forthcoming general elections next year.
He hinted that waste2wealth plan will guarantee cleaner cities and generate electricity for the state and will power industrialization plans for Aba, Umuahia, and other parts of Abia state, and as well as halt challenges associated with electricity generation to advance the welfare of the people.
His words: “our waste2wealth Initiative is a two pronged frontal attack on poverty in Abia state through job creation via the several private service providers(PSPs) that will be created by young people and registered with the state’s waste management authority and generation of electricity through an electricity generating plant that will also be powered by heat from the incinerator component that burns up all waste supplied to it.
“Our waste2wealth initiative will confer a multiplier effect on our local economy. When put in place, every garbage in Umuahia and Aba will be incinerated to generate clean energy. We will do away with land fills which is known to destroy the environment and free up more land for agricultural purposes. In the incineration process, waste in the form of ash can be used in road construction or supplied as an admixture with limestone to cement manufacturers and it can be used to mould blocks for building construction.
“This system is in place in advanced countries and contributes in generating clean energy as with embedded technology, such plants do not harm the environment nor the atmosphere rather it contributes in it’s maintenance. We will introduce this system in Abia State. Our state will be the cleanest in Nigeria. The quality of air we breath in Abia will fall within the acceptable Air Quality Index of less than 50 which will contribute in sustaining the health and well-being of our people”.
Ogah further assured that his administration shall introduce adequately structured developmental plans including Waste2wealth programme which will be benchmarked against global metrics when elected into office next year general elections, emphasizing that it shall resort to leapfrogging Abia state to the 4IR in different sectors such that in Nigeria, we will be in a pole position of innovation and harnessing the gains associated with technology.
He partly stated,”I’m in a hurry to start unpacking my developmental plans for our dear state. I insist, the administration i will lead in the forthcoming dispensation through the grace of God and the support of Abians will revolutionalised the way of living in our dear state aming other several Initiative.
