Governor Chukwuma Soludo has been urged to ban the scavenging and selling of scraps in Anambra State as a matter of urgency. The call was made by the Anambra People’s Assembly (APA) in a statement released to the press in Awka, the state capital. The APA argues that the scrap trade fosters crime and criminality among its participants.

The statement, signed by High Chief Tony Umeh, highlights that those involved in the scrap trade have contributed little to the state’s development. Instead, they have caused significant environmental degradation and an increase in criminal activities. The APA claims that many iron materials, crucial for construction and other purposes, have been stolen and sold as scrap.

According to the APA, approximately 95 percent of scrap collectors intrude into private properties, stealing valuables and household materials to sell as scrap without understanding the value of what they are vandalizing. The majority of these individuals are not residents of Anambra State and have no vested interest in its development.

“The Governor should ban them with immediate effect. They should arrest people who go about vandalizing people’s property in the name of collecting scraps,” the statement reads, referencing similar bans in Delta and Rivers States.

The APA calls on the State Government to establish designated dump sites for waste disposal. They also urge Governor Soludo to introduce an executive bill to the State House of Assembly to ban scrap collection within 30 days and extend this ban across the entire South East.

The proposed law would criminalize the collection of scraps, known locally as “iron condemn,” and mandate local governments to enforce the ban and arrest violators.

The APA believes that emulating the measures taken by Delta and Rivers States will help curb the criminal activities associated with the scrap trade and contribute to the overall safety and development of Anambra State.