Sanitation: CRS gov appoints helmsmen

In the last two months, mountains of refuse have been the common sight in a once renowned cleanest city in the country, Calabar, capital of Cross River State. This problem became compounded two weeks ago after Governor Ben Ayade terminated refuse evacuation contracts with two private firms. Refuse collectors and the private contractors protested non-payment […]

In the last two months, mountains of refuse have been the common sight in a once renowned cleanest city in the country, Calabar, capital of Cross River State.
This problem became compounded two weeks ago after Governor Ben Ayade terminated refuse evacuation contracts with two private firms.
Refuse collectors and the private contractors protested non-payment of their contractual fees, blocking the governor’s office with their trucks for several weeks.
They claimed that government owed them seven months’ salaries. This got to a head last Monday when they held the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Miss Tina Agbor, hostage when she went to address and warning them that most of them were ghost workers and would therefore not be paid.
To confront the huge refuse challenge which turned the outlook of the famous ancient, cultural town to an eyesore, Senator  Ben Ayade is said to have approved the sum of N50 million for payment of contractual fees and backlog of salaries to refuse collectors and street sweepers.
He has also approved the appointment of executive secretaries for the five Urban development authorities in the state.