Jujin OC: Potiskum’s metaphor of cholera breeding ground

Probably, it is only OC, a harmless madman that has remained indifferent to the presence of a football field-size refuse dump at Dogo Tebo ward in Potiskum town, the business hub of Yobe State. The 50-years-old garbage site has become so famous to the extent that the name of the area, which is situated off […]

Probably, it is only OC, a harmless madman that has remained indifferent to the presence of a football field-size refuse dump at Dogo Tebo ward in Potiskum town, the business hub of Yobe State.

The 50-years-old garbage site has become so famous to the extent that the name of the area, which is situated off Muhammadu Idrissa Way, has been changed to ‘Jujin OC’ (‘Juji’ means refuse dump) and the madman has been its tenant in the last 25-years.

Jujin OC is the identity of the area as government officials, motorcyclists, taxi and bus drivers use it for description and formal address.

The area is surrounded by dozens of houses, small schools, shops and make-shift community markets and groceries where food items and fruits are sold, a development which makes life risky and vulnerable to diseases.

For more than two decades, children have done their best to chase away or relocate OC to no avail even as the whole street  have been taken away by filth which oozes horrible smell without even as there is no space for motorists.

Unable to repatriate him, some good Samaritans contributed money and erect zinc kiosk for OC which he is using as room. “He is completely harmless and no one know the whereabouts of his people, that is why we constructed the house for him,” Hassan, a youth in the area said.  

Following a heavy down pour which washed away parts of the refuse into the neighbouring houses recently, a distressed house wife, Hajara Sani called this reporter and complained bitterly that “cholera will soon take over our dwellings,” she said.

“I begged my husband before I call you because we are in need of help. Our houses have been taken away by dirt and our children are exposed to diseases,” Hajara said.

Her complain came shortly  after residents of Dogo Tebo Ward staged a protest  over what they called “nonchalant attitude” of the Environmental Sanitation Committee (ESC) of Potiskum Local Government for allowing them to wallow in danger.

A recent visit by this reporter to the site reveals a terrible odour, blocked water channels and people living in penury.

Tamana Abubakar and Salmanu Inusa, two residents of the area complained that local government officials have not done anything in the last decades to address the menace.

“The refuse dump is the defecation site for children who have turned the place into their toilets…in fact even adults do ease themselves at night,” Tamana said.

Inusa debunked claims by authorities that residents are not helping themselves through communal work.

“It is not true because formally, we used to clear the garbage, evacuate the drainages and pack the dirt aside, unfortunately authorities are not willing to mobilise refuse disposal trucks,” Inusa said.

“We don’t sleep at night because of mosquito, in fact malaria is the commonest ailment here and our wives have made hospitals their second home because they always take our children for treatment,” Inusa added.

Kanem Trust reports that about two years ago, the Yobe State government had established environmental protection committees in all the 17 local governments’ areas of the state and posted many civil servants and cleaners to man the committees.

The committees were provided with Hilux trucks and are receiving “good money” as running cost every month but residents are questioning where the money was going to because there are no verifiable  activity being carried by them.

“Most of the committee chairmen are using the Hilux trucks for domestic purposes and sometimes take them to political rallies instead of using them for the purposes they are meant for,” Mohammed Ali, a resident of Potiskum alleged.

The Ministry of Environment has also procured tipper trucks which were launched by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam about four month ago.

During the commissioning, Alhaji Wakili Sarki, the commissioner of environment said monthly environmental sanitation would be re-introduced and the trucks would be distributed to Potiskum, Gashua, Damaturu and Nguru to ensure clean and safe towns.

“We are yet to see the effect of the trucks and the environmental committee. We hope Governor Gaidam would look at the problem,” Hajara, who made the initial complain in Potiskum prayed.

When contacted, the Chairman of Potiskum ESC, Alhaji Jibo Dakasku, declined comment.

On his part Alhaji Mamman Mohammed, the Special Adviser to Yobe State Governor on Environment, whose house is located in the area lamented that the problem of Jujin OC had remained protracted.

“It is a problem because the refuse dump is over 50 years but we are trying to address the issue soon,” he said.

Ironically, he said one thing that was dragging the issue was that some people were claiming that the refuse and the land belonged to them and should not be tempered with.

“They say the organic manure enriches their farms more than fertilizer but we would advice the state government to revoke the land and build public structures that would benefit the community very,” the adviser said.

Chairman of Potiskum and the councillor representing the area are reportedly in Saudi Arabia for the lesser hajj.

Recent statistic released by the World Health Organization (WHO) office in Damaturu revealed that about 62 people have died while about 500 others were infected by gastro enteritis infections in 10 local government areas of Yobe State.

Dr Isa Adamu, the representative of WHO attributed the problem to water contamination occasioned by poor sanitation and hygiene.

For the residence of Jujin OC, the problem will continue to linger until appropriate measures are taken.

“I wish you would be here during the dry season, you will be surprise to see that the heap of refuse at Jujin OC will be as high as the houses around. Farmers have depleted it now because they have carried the filth to their farms,” Malam Goni Nuhu, a cleric in the area said.