Joseph Nedo, Lagos
Founders of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers of Nigeria, NASWDEN, said the will commence registration of persons working in the sector.
They said the step would be taken for proper identification of scrap dealers as a means to check vandalisation of public facilities by criminals who go around as scavengers.
There is concern over rising reports of vandalisation of railways, bridges, and other public facilities by criminals who disguise as scavengers.
Speaking at a press conference, in Ikeja , Lagos, National Chairman of NASWDEN, Alhaji Lateef Sulaimon, said the founding fathers and board of trustees resolved to embark on data capturing exercise of the operational members to ensure criminals do not have anywhere to hide under the banner of the profession.
General Secretary and administrative head of the association,
Comrade Stephen Obayuwana admonished scrap and waste dealers across Nigeria to be upright and do their legitimate business within the purview of the law and ensure every operator in and around them in their area of jurisdiction are captured in the registration exercise.
READ: INVESTIGATION: How vandals destroy North-Central Nigeria railway to feed steel companies
Member of the board of trustees of NASWDEN, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Ibrahim Soja, those giving the business a bad name need to be fished out so the public can have better and healthy perception about the business.
Alhaji Soja said scrap and wastes dealers are different from scavengers, stressing that scrap and waster dealers are law abiding citizens and well to do and who can never indulge in criminal activities.
The Deputy National Chairman of the board of trustees, Comrade Edward Illah called on members of the public to notify the association officials or the nearest police station anytime they found unidentified scrap and waste dealers in their communities saying there’s need for such synergy to ensure the measure put in place is effective.
The founding fathers of NASWDEN also called for robust synergy with security operatives especially Nigerian civil defence corps, NSCDC in combating vandals headlong anywhere in the country.
They vowed to deal decisively with any unregistered person caught going about as scrap and waste dealers anywhere in the country.
A special taskforce was set up go about across the country to ensure those that deal in scrap and waste business are duly registered.
