By PET bottle operators and scavengers in Delta State have accused the Ministry of Environment of harassment and intimidation following a government crackdown on unregistered operators.
Authorities arrested 12 individuals across multiple locations, citing non-compliance with a directive to register with the ministry. However, one of those arrested, Jude Madaiki Babayi, argued that operators had previously registered, only for the process to be canceled without refunds.
He also questioned the legitimacy of the new registration process, stating, “The account number given to us is not an official government account, and we need to investigate further before making another payment.”
The Delta State Ministry of Environment, through Assistant Director Sylvester Ofuyekpone, defended the crackdown, stating that scavenging without registration was banned. “For anyone to run a PET bottle collection business, they must register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and the Ministry of Environment,” he said.
John Itinegbedia, a representative of G-Part E-C Consult Nig. Ltd., affirmed that the arrests were a result of non-compliance, adding that the state government was displeased with the operators’ refusal to adhere to regulations.
