Abuja residents, refuse dumps ‘compete’ for road

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is supposed to be a model city is gradually being defaced with indiscriminate refuse dumps.  It has become a common sight in most parts of the FCT to see refuse on the streets, road median, malls and expressways among others. Arab Road, a highbrow area in Kubwa, is not […]

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT), which is supposed to be a model city is gradually being defaced with indiscriminate refuse dumps.  It has become a common sight in most parts of the FCT to see refuse on the streets, road median, malls and expressways among others.

Arab Road, a highbrow area in Kubwa, is not left out as refuse is gradually taking over the road with drivers and passersby expressing how disgusting it is to use the road.

Last week Wednesday shortly after an evening rainfall, Mrs Glory Chukwuma, who visited her friend in the area, was irritated. She continually spat as she walked home after a motorcyclist had dropped her off.

The cause of the constant spitting was as a result of the stench that oozed from a ‘hill’ of refuse dump along the popular Arab Road in Kubwa, our correspondent observed.

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Arab Road, a highbrow area in Kubwa, which is a satellite town of the nation’s capital, boasts of numerous malls; many companies including bakeries and sachet water factories; hotels; and big churches; among others.

During a recent visit to the area by Daily Trust, it was noticed that apart from the refuse dump that had taken over some parts of the road, it is also dotted with gaping potholes that are capable of wreaking havoc on vehicles’ that ply it even on a one-off basis.

The road, which starts from the popular Kubwa-Dei Dei-Zuba expressway and ends at the famous Liberty Junction, spans at approximately 5km, is usually used by residents who commute to their respective places of work at the city centre.

Recently, it was learnt that the health risk brought about by the mountain of refuse on the main section of the road, and the death trap which the road constituted have forced some residents to relocate while some companies and malls are also considering shutting down their businesses.

Also,  a banker, Kolawole Adams, nearly transferred his anger onto some motorcyclists, whom he initially thought had blocked his way, while going to work in the morning. It was later that he found out that the refuse on the road was ‘competing’ with motorists who were trying to manoeuvre their way.

“The way refuse dump is growing on this road is very worrisome. Anytime I drive past here, I always ‘wind up all my car glasses’ because of the odour that comes from the refuse,” Adams, who goes to work early, told Daily Trust during a recent encounter at the spot.

“Last week, I spent more than 45 minutes before I could drive out from Arab Road to the expressway. At a point, I nearly got angry with the Keke and Okada riders, thinking they were the ones blocking the road. It was later I discovered that they weren’t the ones, I later saw that everybody was trying to manoeuvre their way because of the refuse heap that is gradually blocking the road.”

Florence Oladele, a nurse, who resides in one of the buildings, located on Arab Road, expressed health concerns over the refuse heap. She said people living around the areas where the refuse was being dumped risked contracting some diseases.

“My own concern boils down to the health of the people. To me, health matters a lot. I’m particularly concerned about the people who eat food produced around that area. And there is a popular bakery close here.

“If you’re in there, you will perceive the odour from the refuse dump. But clearing that amount of refuse, which is daily increasing, is much more than what an individual can handle.

“So, I will only appeal to the FCTA and Bwari Area Council to come to the aid of the people regarding the condition of the road and the mountain of refuse,” 32-year-old Oladele told our correspondent.

“This type of problem is not peculiar to Arab Road alone in Kubwa. Indiscriminate dumping of refuse on roads or drainage systems is not new to the entire Kubwa, not to talk of potholes on roads. Those here are only noticeable because here is a relatively highbrow area.

A commercial driver, Abubakar Aliyu, said considering the high rent in the area, one should not be battling with indiscriminate dumping of refuse and potholes.

“The problem has worsened in recent times as the road, when the rains become heavy, spills trash all over the vicinity, making movement difficult for both cars and persons walking on foot.”

“We know that Hon. Wike is working, but he should shift his attention to FCT roads repair works to the outskirts where most of the population resides and stop concentrating on the city centre. The roads that need repairs are in the outskirts, not the city centre,” Aliyu added.

While the failure of most residents and passers-by to dispose of waste properly contributed a great deal to this disturbing trend, findings by Daily Trust revealed that the dumping of refuse collected by Mai shara (private refuse collectors) also contributes.

It was gathered that the trucks that moved from street to street to clear refuse bins had not been showing up as often as they used to in the past, forcing residents to either discard their waste in the drains or by the side of the road

Weak laws, lack of basic amenities responsible  –Environmentalist

An environmentalist, Yomi Odeniran, in an interview with our correspondent, said some of the factors fuelling indiscriminate dumping of refuse are weak laws, lack of proper enforcement and lack of basic amenities in many outskirt areas in the Federal Capital Territory.

According to him, if offenders were not punished for their actions, others will be emboldened to do even worse things, causing problems for other members of the society in the process.

“I drive around Abuja and see people dump all sorts of items on the road and open gutters; the sight annoys me. But before we blame them, let us look at the system that allows them to get away with such acts.

“Does the government, which collects ground rent and other taxes from homeowners, provide clean dustbins for each house? Do vehicles meant for the refuse dump still function as expected? I know that there are strict environmental laws in Abuja but in terms of enforcement, how strong are these? This, for me, is the area the government must look into in order to arrest this situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, last week, the Federal Capital Territory Administration called on youths in Abuja to actively participate in waste management initiatives, positioning waste as a significant resource for job creation and economic growth.

The call was made by the FCTA during a one-day Knowledge Café organised by the Department of Reforms Coordination and Service Improvement (RCSI), themed ‘Waste-to-Value: Innovations in Sustainable Waste Management and Recycling in the FCT’ recently.

Speaking at the event, Mr Rotimi Ajayi, Permanent Secretary of FCTA Common Services, who was represented by Mrs Egunyanga Ngozi, Director of Pensions, emphasised the critical need for proper waste management in Abuja, which has seen rapid urbanization and increasing waste generation.

He stated that mismanagement of waste poses severe environmental, public health, and economic risks, and urged the youth to take advantage of the waste-to-value approach as an opportunity to create jobs while improving the city’s environment.

“The FCT is growing rapidly, and with this growth comes more waste. Improper disposal not only damages the environment but also threatens public health and economic progress. Therefore, we need to manage waste strategically to protect the environment while generating value,” Ajayi said.