The Kwara government says it will regulate the operation of scavengers to ensure the security of residents’ lives and properties and increase revenue.

The state Commissioner for Environment, Shehu Ndanusa, disclosed this on Saturday during a meeting with the Association of Scavengers at the Ministry of Environment in Ilorin, the state capital.

“The present administration under the leadership of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq is not comfortable with your operations as it is causing insecurity in the state.

“Therefore, this ministry deems it fit to regulate your activities through an official registration for efficient operation across the state,” Mr Ndanusa explained.

The commissioner announced that the ministry would begin registering scavenger industries for proper recognition, whereby individuals would have an identity code and uniform clothes for easy identification.

He warned the scavengers to avoid criminal activities and respect environmental law or face the full wrath of the law.

Earlier, the state chairman of the scavengers, Musa Umah, appreciated Mr Abdulrazaq for his people-oriented programmes, leadership qualities and style and for creating an enabling environment for scavengers.

He pledged their readiness to comply and operate within the law governing their business and to partner with the government in sustaining healthy living in the state.

The ministry’s permanent secretary, Afusat Ibrahim, appreciated the representatives of Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, Kwara State Environmental Protection Agency (KWEPA) and the Association of Scavengers for attending the meeting.

She informed the scavengers that their registration would close on December 31, while the full enforcement would commence by January 2024.

(NAN)