Despite monetary reward, Sokoto still grapples with refuse dumps

Almost one and half years after the re-introduction of environmental sanitation exercise in Sokoto, attempts to restore the lost glory of the state as among the cleanest cities in Nigeria is yet to yield the desired result. Refuse still litters many public places, residential and commercial areas.  In August 2015, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri […]

Almost one and half years after the re-introduction of environmental sanitation exercise in Sokoto, attempts to restore the lost glory of the state as among the cleanest cities in Nigeria is yet to yield the desired result. Refuse still litters many public places, residential and commercial areas. 

In August 2015, Sokoto State Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal inaugurated special sanitation days aimed at ridding the state of filth and ensuring a desirable level of environmental sanitation in the state.

“From today up to the next four weeks, each Saturday would be observed as a special sanitation day and there will be restriction of movement between 7.00a.m. and 10.00a.m. Subsequently, each first Saturday of the month would be observed as a sanitation day with similar restriction of movement,” Tambuwal had declared.

 As a way of encouraging residents towards achieving the desired objective, the governor announced cash reward to the sum of N2.3 million to the three cleanest communities at the end of a special sanitation exercise.

 He said cleanliness is next to godliness and they must have a paradigm shift and imbibe the habit of cleanliness as cleanliness is inseparable from faith. The first, second and third positions at the end of a special exercise gets N1million, N750,000 and N500,000, respectively.

On each environmental sanitation day, state officials as well as individuals and organisations embark on the exercise to get rid of waste on roads and other places but heaps of garbage still remain in many areas.

With garbage dumped indiscriminately, accumulated filth of the surroundings and mounds of rubbish defacing some areas, it is obvious that there is need to sustain a robust environmental sanitation system in the state.

 However, some reasons have been adduced for the prevailing situation. While some people blame it on lack of commitment on the part of the citizens to keep a clean environment, others attribute it to inadequate trash disposal devices such as refuse bunkers.

“Some people are indifferent concerning the issue. So people who are supposed to make the programme successful are not giving their much needed cooperation and support. 

“It is very worrisome to observe how some people go about their businesses on the environmental sanitation day mindless of the law prohibiting such behaviour,” a resident noted.

He urged the Sokoto State government to encourage public -private partnership in sustaining an effective environmental sanitation programme in the state.

Another resident, Malama Aisha Aliyu, said: “I think the problem of inadequate refuse bunkers contributes greatly to indiscriminate dumping of refuse because if the bunkers are readily available at various points, it will help in ensuring proper waste disposal. So the state government should ensure availability of these bunkers.”

Dauda Abdullahi , a trader wants government to ensure serious enforcement of the cleaning of business places.

“There should be an order for cleaning and evacuation of the waste since government cannot do it alone and the places are numerous to handle. Traders should be made to assist the government in evacuating the waste after cleaning of the premises,” he opined.

But the Commissioner for Environment, Bello Sifawa, said: “We are doing our best. Government has provided us with all our basic needs, in fact the governor has bought some vehicles, six tippers, 30 tricycles for the evacuation of refuse and he has also approved the employment of 500 youths for refuse evacuation.”

He said the youths would be employed by the end of this month and that they would be posted to various refuse collection centres.

“But don’t forget, every human activity is accompanied with waste, therefore it is not unusual when we evacuate and the next minute, we also find refuse in some of our bunkers. The indiscriminate dumping of refuse is from members of the society. We are trying our best to educate them on how best to dispose their refuse,”he said.

Sifawa added: “We are doing our best but the greatest challenge is for people to accept that the government is doing this for their benefit. But we are doing our best to make them understand, that is the major challenge.”

On the inadequacy of refuse bunkers, the commissioner said the state governor has approved the rehabilitation of the broken down bunkers and the construction of 20 new ones.

He, however, disclosed that a tribunal has been set up to deal with those who refused to participate in the exercise.

While commending communities, non-governmental organisations, youth clubs in the state that have been giving their support, he said a recycling plant would soon be commissioned in the state which, he said, would also lessen the refuse situation in the state.