Anambra Assembly summons ASWAMA boss, suspends imposed levy

The illegal waste management fee imposed by the Anambra State Waste Management Authority (ASWAMA) has being suspended with immediate effect.

The Managing Director of the Agency has also been summoned to appear before the Assembly on Thursday 27th October 2022.

The resolution was sequel to a motion of urgent public importance moved by member representing Nnewi North constituency Hon. Nonso Smart Okafor.

The house noted that an existing law tagged “Anambra Waste Management Law 2015” stipulates various fees payable by various groups for waste management.

The lawmakers frowned at the complainants from the public over illegal fees imposed by the ASWAMA MD directing the public to pay various sums of money in total disregard to the existing law.

Hon Okafor in his submission said the release by ASWAMA caused tension in the state. According to him, “Anambra State House of Assembly in 2015 passed the ASWAMA Law, and section six (6) sub-section one (1) clearly specified the functions of the agency. No section gave the MD of ASWAMA the authority or right to fix levies.

“Section twenty-five (25) of that law sub-section two (2) specified the amounts to be paid which was listed in schedule one (1). The MD of ASWAMA in his release, made it clear that they have catigorised the urban and rural areas.

“Schedule one (1) of this law clearly stipulates as follows: duplex in urban areas is to pay twelve thousand naira (12,000) annually, but the rate released by ASWAMA stipulates twenty four thousand (24).

“According to the law, detached bungalows is to pay six thousand naira (6,000) but in the rate released by ASWAMA, it’s twelve thousand (12,000). Three bedroom flat is to pay three thousand naira (3,000) but in the ASAWAMA rate, it’s seven thousand two hundred (7,200).

‘One bedroom flat is two thousand four hundred (2,400), but in the ASAWAMA law, it’s four thousand eight hundred (4,800). For commercial catigory, small restorant acording to the law is to pay twenty four thousand (24,000), but that of ASWAMA is fouthy-eight thousand (48,000).

Hon Okafor questioned where the ASWAMA boss got the powers to review the existing law.