My Mary Poni
The National Minister of Roads and Bridges, Simon Mijok Mijak has challenged the Central Equatoria State government and Juba City Council on poor maintenance of the city saying there’s no clean air to breath in everywhere especially in the capital Juba.
He told journalists in Juba that as a concern, it is the mandate of Juba city council, to keep the city free from garbage saying they should have gotten a solution to handle the waste management as soon as possible.
He slammed the State government of poor garbage management arguing that they (authorities) always collect money from the markets in the name of garbage collection yet markets are the worse dirty places in Juba.
Mijak said even in the residences, people are as well dumping garbage anyhow anywhere and therefore, he urged the authorities to charge the residents, if a household is found doing such practices in the areas.
According to the minister, it would be wise if the authorities implement collection of money per households to pay off salaries of the Central Equatoria and to do more development for roads maintenance because the wastes are all over the main streets.
The Minister of Roads and Bridges said anyone who cannot afford to pay any charge or fine by the authority should not risk to taking garbage into public roads and exposed places in the city.
He said the city is supposed to be clean and green always.
Mijak stressed that the rules must be implemented by the law enforcement agents and they should not fear their people, saying it is for the goodness of the country for everyone to leave in a conducive environment.
“If we stay lazy, this country will not advance and people should respect the law to keep the environment clean,” he cited.
Juba city mayor H.W Michael Lado Allah-Jabu recently issued a local order banning littering of plastic bottles, and also banned unnecessary garbage dumping along streets in the middle of main roads and in front of shops and residences in the capital.
He warned that all forms of garbage dumping and littering along the streets, in the middle of the roads, in front of business places and in the residences is punishable by the bylaws.