Review of AKSEPWMA’s scorecard- Part 1 (2018/2019 in perspective)
Governor Udom Emmanuel has on different occasions, expressed the readiness of his administration to leave Akwa Ibom State better than what it was in 2015, when the Governor assumed office.
With massive industrialization as his major blueprint, Governor Emmanuel understands the important role the environment plays in industrialization and in attracting investors.
It is believed that more wastes are being generated, from the numerous industries springing up and from the ever-growing population of residents in the State. Thus as a futuristic leader, Gov. Udom Emmanuel had before this time understood that robust environmental protection and waste management will become integral in the realization of the industrialization mantra.
It was on this premise that the Governor, on the 5th of September 2018, reconstituted the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency with Hon. Prince Ikim as Chairman and nine(9) other Board members after 10 years of abandonment of the Agency.
Hon. Prince Ikim on his part having understood the drive of His Excellency, had upon assumption of office, immediately keyed into the innovative gestures of the governor.
This explains why the AKSEPWMA Boss has been seen working day and night, initiating lofty programs and policies, in a sincere bid to boost the Completion Agenda of Governor Udom Emmanuel.
A peep into the Agency’s performance index under Hon. Prince Ikim for the 2018/19 could be very titillating.
Understanding the important role played by the public and residents of the State, Ikim’s administration channeled commendable energy into public awareness and image branding, thus improving the public image of AKSEPWMA from 5% in 2018 to 69% in 2019.
Ikim led AKSEPWMA has also prioritized revenue generation. This explains why revenue generation increased from a paltry 2% in 2018 to a redoubtable 10% generation few months after assuming office.
As at 2018, street cleaning/vegetation control by the Agency ranked at 37% but witness a commendable improvement in 2019 with 53%.
Also prominent to note is the increase in Staff/Adhoc staff morale from 10% in 2018 to 66% in 2019.
Within the period under review, monthly Environmental Sanitation also witness a significant improvement of 52 % as at 2019 against the dinky little 5% in 2018.
With the rebranding of the Enforcement Unit of AKSEPWMA, Enforcement skyrocketed from 10% to 52% from 2018 to 2019 respectively.
It is worthy to note that according to the 2018 Telsrad Project Survey, the Agency had no compacting trucks/tippers, bulldozers/payloaders, communal waste receptacle and other necessary and functional equipment.
Against the inconsolable state of the Agency before the quick intervention of His Excellency, Mr. Udom Emmanuel that brought Hon. Prince Ikim as Head to the once ‘no hope Agency’, the Agency in the year under review (2019) was able to achieve the following; 391,680,32649/1088 tons of waste collection statistics, 1427 court Sanitation related cases.
In 2019 alone, the Agency was able to acquire 15 compacting trucks and equipment, provide (20) 5000 litres waste dump sites, provide (50) Galvanized 1100 litres Roller receptacles and provision of 32 signposts on illegal dump points.
Gov. Udom Emmanuel should therefore be lauded for seeing the future and selecting the right man, in the person of Hon. Prince Ikim to implement his lofty dreams in Environmental Protection and Waste Management.
It is not far from the exceptional performance of Hon. Prince Ikim that the Hon. Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Frank Archibong recently said: “If there is an Agency, Board or Commission at the moment in the State that has lived up to expectations, it is your Agency. Even His Excellency the Governor is pleased. Even in the night, you are often seen working. Little wonder Akwa Ibom is the cleanest State.”
© Press Unit;
AKSEPWMA
