Residents of Kuje Area Council in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have decried the inability of the council administration to properly evacuate waste in the area.
The residents were reacting to the rising heaps of refuse left uncleared along major roads and open areas across the council area.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday, January 7, 2020, said that the situation had become worrisome and called on the authorities to “do something urgent”.
Mr Abraham John, a resident of Quarters Area, said that leaving the waste in the area was not in the interest of the people and human health.
John decried the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in various parts of the council, especially along the road, saying that the situation was an eyesore.
“The heaps of waste keep getting even worse; some major roads and drainage have even been blocked.
“Clearly, there is no plan by the local government to improve the situation. Government must come up with a plan where each house will be taxed a particular amount. We cannot continue like that,” he said.
Mrs. Sarah Madaki, another resident, said that Kuje Area Council was gradually becoming an eyesore with heaps of refuse at every corner of the town.
“Considering the harmful effects of refuse on human health, the Area Council Administration should do everything possible to rid the town of the indiscriminate dumps.
“Waste evacuation is very necessary to ensure environmental cleanliness and the well-being of the people, but the authorities do not seem to realise this,” she fumed.
Another resident, Mr Emeka Okafor, told NAN that the Area Council authorities had stationed refuse bins along the road for residents, but lamented that none had ever been evacuated.
Okafor said that Kuje Area Council as the “Food Basket of FCT” ought always to be kept clean .
“The Environmental Department of the Council saddled with ensuring proper dumping and evacuation of waste is not really committed to the job.
“When the rainy season comes, flooding is likely because heap of wastes have blocked the waterways.
“Refuse could also be a breeding ground for mosquitoes which can lead to the spread of diseases,” he pointed out.
Mr Joseph Dogara, a resident of Anguwan Gade, blamed the situation on the failure of the Area Council Administration to “do the right thing”.
Dogara called on the area council to wake up to its responsibility by ensuring that the environment was always kept clean.
Malam Aminu Sani, a resident of Kayarda Area, who also reacted to the heaps of refuse dotting most parts of the council, called for the re-introduction of monthly sanitation exercise to help tackle the situation.
By Gami Tadanyigbe
