The Borno State chapter of the National Association of Scrap and Waste Dealers Employers in Nigeria (NASWEN), popularly known as AJAKUTA, has distanced itself from claims made by its national body and some individuals regarding the state government’s recent decision on metal scavenging.
Gatekeepers News reports that the association’s Borno State Chairman, Umar Usman, stated the chapter’s position on Wednesday in Maiduguri during a courtesy visit to the Chairman of the Committee to Review the Ban on Metal Scavenging in Borno State, Hon. Nasiru Ali Surundi.
Usman welcomed Governor Babagana Zulum’s decision, describing it as a positive step towards restoring members’ livelihoods and ensuring orderly business operations in the scrap trade.
“We welcome the Governor’s decision in good faith and dissociate ourselves from the claims made by our national body and some individuals. As law-abiding citizens, we support the state government’s efforts to regulate our activities,” he said.
He expressed appreciation to the governor for his support for association members and other residents of the state, pledging the chapter’s cooperation with the committee in implementing the government’s reforms.
In his response, Surundi commended the association for clarifying its position, explaining that the government’s measures were designed to sanitise the scrap business for the benefit of dealers and the wider public.
“The measures introduced by Governor Babagana Umara Zulum are aimed at sanitising the scrap business for the benefit of our people. We urge the association’s national leadership to verify its facts before making public claims,” Surundi said.
Other members of the delegation also endorsed their chairman’s position and pledged their support for the state government’s decision.
The visit came barely a week after Governor Zulum announced the temporary lifting of the ban on scrap scavenging and initiated the development of a proposed roadmap towards fully lifting the restriction.
The state government’s review is aimed at establishing a more orderly and regulated scrap business while addressing concerns surrounding metal scavenging in Borno State.
