By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The Anambra State government has declared its intention to, henceforth, duly register legitimate metal scrap dealers in the State to further their legitimate business and contribution to the state’s economy.
The State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Paul Nwosu declared this is s statement issued to newsmen over the weekend, in which he also pronounced a state-wide ban and restrictions on the activities of the notorious folks who go from place to place, stealing valuables and committing different types of atrocities and illegalities under the guise of condemn iron dealers.
The Commissioner, who highlighted some of the atrocious activities banned scrap scavengers, however, explained that the government understands and has delineated the difference between these banned illegal Condemned Iron scavengers and the traders doing legitimate scrap metal business.
While noting that the government intends to henceforth duly register the scrap metal dealers so that they can continue their contribution to the economy of the state without hindrances; he further urged the properly constituted scrap metal dealers to go to the State Ministry of Environment for re-certification.
He also reiterated that the criminal folks among them cannot be allowed to continue in the evil act of stealing private and public metal objects across board.
His words: “These fellows prawl the residential neighbourhoods and commercial districts intermittently screaming “Iron Kwandem” with their quaint accent, just to get public attention like the typical village town criers.
“Their mission is ostensibly to buy Condemned Iron or disused metal objects from households, workshops/business premises or anybody who can freely offer their stock-in-trade (scrap metals). In the local parlance, they are called “ndi akpakara”. But what used to be simple and hassle-free transactions with itinerant seemingly harmless cart pushers have ended up becoming pests to the society.
“The nuisance value of the ubiquitous “Iron Kwandem” scavengers can no longer be tolerated for they now constitute a pain in the neck of society as their activities are adversely affecting the economy of the state and the country at large.
“They steal the metal coverings of gutters, the iron medians on the highways and the steel railings on the sides of the motorways.
“They have become so brazen in dismantling and wrecking public utilities such that you begin to wonder if they have special licenses to do what they are doing because they dare where nobody with conscience will risk.
“They removed and carted away most of the iron components of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, fence facing the ever busy Enugu-Awka expressway.
“Shortly after the celebrated second Niger Bridge was commissioned, the side-bars, beams and the heavy steel sheets interlocking segments of the bridge were yanked off by these devil-may-care “Iron Kwandem” scavengers.
“Even the poles bearing the solar streetlights in Anambra State have been randomly and willfully vandalized by these scavengers for illicit profit.
“Individual’s generators and vehicle body parts are not spared. A story was told about how a family returned from the village after an end-of-year vacation to discover that their beautiful wrought iron gate had been neatly dismantled and removed.
“No responsible government will stand by and watch this sheer act of lawlessness persist.
“Anambra State Government has therefore prohibited the operations of the Condemned Iron or Ndi Akpakara or “Iron Kwandem” scavengers as their activities are tantamount to the worst kind of robbery.
“They cannot be allowed to continue in the evil act of stealing private and public metal objects across board.
“Anybody doing business with them will be equally arrested and prosecuted because it amounts to receiving stolen property.
“Ndi-Anambra should see it as a patriotic duty to report the activities of the Condemned Iron scavengers to SASA or OCHA Brigade for immediate arrest and prosecution.”
Watch the video below on some activities of the “iron kwandem”:
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