Residents Worried As Refuse Piles Up In Abuja

Residents of Abuja have raised concerns over the growing heaps of trash in major spots in the nation’s capital.

Abuja Metro reports that in many locations in the heart of Abuja, piles of refuse are forming hills, making the areas an eyesore to many people.

Refuse-evacuating trucks have previously been observed routinely collecting trash at prominent locations, but as mounds of garbage rise in various parts of the city, the system is slowly collapsing.

A ride from Berger to Jabi Motor Park will reveal a mound of trash that has been thrown there indiscriminately by individuals, with no state entities interested in holding them accountable.

Mr. John Audu, a civil servant, told Abuja Metro that a once-pleasurable region behind the Rock of Ages Mall, about 20 meters before the traffic light at Jabi Motor Park, has turned into a repulsive place where people are now holding their noses.

He said, “Even more concerning is the fact that the garden behind the mall has a channel that allows water to easily flow, yet the mountains of trash are obstructing it.”

According to him, the refuse hill obstructed the drainage system, allowing water to pool up to the traffic light, which made drivers and onlookers uncomfortable. This also causes issues on the route that connects to the Wuye district.

Abuja Metro reports that such heaps of refuse can be found in Wuse, Durumi, Garki, and Kado districts of Abuja.

An environmentalist, Dr. Habbeb Mustapha, warned that people’s health is at risk because more trash is now being thrown out indiscriminately, indicating that the Abuja city garbage collection system has broken down or is ineffective.

According to him, scavengers and others are already defecating in the open, which can increase the threat to public health.

The operatives of the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency (AEPB), which frequently monitors some of these areas, appear to overlook the garbage dump and the people who are contributing to it.

Residents say Abuja’s cleaning enforcement is weak

According to Mrs. Chioma Obunike, a nurse, more people are abusing and breaking the city’s environmental rules, which is hindering the environmental cleaning process in the city.

According to her, open defecation is widespread, as is the disposal of trash, including chemicals that can contaminate the city’s subterranean water system and obstruct the well-designed drainage system.

Mr. James Ishaya noted that some employed cleaners throw debris into the drainage system rather than designated collection centers for evacuation when they clean major roadways.

Experts call for action

Meanwhile, the World Sustainable Development Goals Organisation (WSDGO) has called on relevant authorities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to prioritize the timely evacuation and proper management of refuse dump sites across communities.

Mr. Fubes Danor, the group’s Executive Director for West Africa, made the call in Abuja during the evacuation of the 3rd Avenue Gwarimpa refuse dump site.

Danor raised concern over the growing number of neglected dump sites in urban and semi-urban areas of Abuja.

According to him, such dumps not only contaminate water and air but also serve as breeding grounds for disease-causing organisms, thereby endangering the lives of residents.

“Unattended waste poses grave health and environmental hazards. Improper waste management is one of the biggest contributors to environmental degradation and public health challenges. We urge governments, local councils, private stakeholders, residents, and community members to ensure that refuse dump sites are evacuated and cleared regularly,” he said.

Danor said that timely interventions would align with global best practices of sustainable development and help Nigeria meet its environmental targets under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ms. Ijeoma Nwachokor, the group’s National Director on Clean Waters and Sanitation, said that the timely evacuation of refuse dump sites was critical to protecting public health and the environment.

Nwachokor explained that unattended dumps contaminate water sources, clog drainage systems, lead to flooding during the rainy season, and cause outbreaks of diseases.

“When refuse is left unattended, it not only pollutes our water sources but also increases the risk of outbreaks of diseases such as cholera and malaria. We are calling on the authorities to act swiftly and consistently to safeguard the wellbeing of residents,” she said.

Mrs. Abigail Ishaya, a petty trader in the community noted that frequent evacuation was needed to prevent pile-ups.

“We have voiced out severally and appealed to the Abuja Environmental Protection Board to help us clear the site periodically. The delay in clearing the dump site is what often results in this large pile-up of refuse that usually claims half of the road, causing vehicular traffic and clogging drainage channels,” she said.

Mr. Peter Ekemeni, a resident of the community, urged the government to adopt waste disposal practices such as recycling to reduce plastic use and waste.

He also called for stronger enforcement of sanitation laws and prosecution of offenders of reckless dumping.

“Protecting the environment is a shared responsibility. When waste is managed sustainably, it improves not only public health but also the quality of life for future generations. It is time for environmental sanitation laws to be enforced and sanitation policing practiced to curb illicit dumping, and anyone found dumping refuse in undesignated places should be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent,” he said.

When contacted, the Director of the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency (AEPB), Mr. Osilama Braimah, declined comment, stating that as a civil servant, he must get clearance from the minister before he can talk to the press.

However, the director had, in an earlier interview with journalists, admitted that the board is responsible for handling waste management and city sanitation in Maitama, Asokoro, Garki, Guzape, Katampe, Wuse, Mabushi, Wuye, and other districts within the city center.

Other areas, he said, include Airport Road, all the way to Bill Clinton Drive, the airport vicinity, the Central Business District, and Goodluck Jonathan Expressway, all the way to the Karu axis.

He said the board had engaged 40 contractors and assigned a specific area of coverage to evacuate waste and keep the areas clean.

He, however, said that the Board sometimes intervenes when the contractors cannot cope with the huge volume of refuse being generated daily within the city.

“We have our own team to step in and provide support whenever the contractors fail in their task of evacuating refuse. So, our job is to supervise, but once we give you a job and you don’t perform, we intervene, and when we want to pay, we subtract for the intervention,” he had said during the interview.(Daily trust)