Outcry over refuse pileup at FCT

Residents of the Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concern over heaps of refuse that continue to pile up at the main roundabout along the Abaji-Lokoja expressway and at the back entrance of the main market. Some residents, who spoke with Abuja Metro on Saturday, voiced worry over the daily […]

Residents of the Abaji Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concern over heaps of refuse that continue to pile up at the main roundabout along the Abaji-Lokoja expressway and at the back entrance of the main market.

Some residents, who spoke with Abuja Metro on Saturday, voiced worry over the daily increase in the garbage, which they said has become an eyesore for both residents and visitors to the council.

They noted that the refuse heaps in the two strategic locations pose a serious threat to the health and well-being of the council’s inhabitants.

Mr. Yakubu Ibrahim, a resident, told our reporter that the increasing refuse at the two sites, which is not being evacuated by the officials of the council’s Environmental and Sanitation Department, is alarming.

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He said the council authorities’ failure to evacuate the refuse heaps threatens the health of residents, especially those who live behind the main market.

“If you look at the main Abaji roundabout, some people, especially Okada riders and food vendors, stay close to that refuse and still sell food to customers there. This is dangerous to their health, as they may contract bacterial diseases from the refuse,” he said.

Another resident, Maduabuchi Moses, also complained about the refuse heaps that continue to pile up, particularly at the roundabout.

He said it was unfortunate that some traders, including those who own shops and sell fruits and sugarcane, have turned the roundabout into a permanent refuse dump site without the refuse being evacuated.

“A roundabout is supposed to beautify a town or city, but in Abaji, the roundabout where people relax and display wares, including food, has turned into a refuse dump. And the worst of it is that the refuse continues to pile up every day without being evacuated, which is now an eyesore,” he said.

He said the continued pile-up of refuse is a serious threat to the health of the residents, calling on the council authorities to urgently clear the garbage before residents are infected by bacteria.

“The area council has no excuse for not clearing the refuse that continues to pile up daily at the roundabout. The council has the money, so why would the chairman not release funds to the environmental department so they can engage tipper drivers to evacuate the refuse?” he asked.

 

YPP berates council chair over heaps of refuse

Meanwhile, the Abaji Area Council chapter of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) has berated the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration under the leadership of Alhaji Abubakar Umar Abdullahi over the refuse dumps in the council metropolis, especially at the main roundabout.

The Chairman of YPP in the area, Alhaji Suleiman Alhassan, who spoke to newsmen at the party’s secretariat on Sunday, said it was worrisome that the council has failed to evacuate the heaps of refuse at strategic places.

According to him, it is unfortunate that refuse has continued to pile up at strategic places within the metropolis for months without any moves by the authorities of the council to evacuate them.

He said residents are at the risk of contracting diseases due to the refuse dumps, warning of a potential cholera outbreak, especially at the main roundabout where residents patronize food vendors. “Apart from the main Abaji roundabout, you should go to the back entrance of the Abaji main market, which links to the abattoir, and see the kind of refuse heaps that have continued to pile up there, which is almost taking over the road,” he said.

“Yes, we know there is a company that handles the evacuation of refuse across the area councils, which is not peculiar to Abaji alone, but since the contractors are complaining about non-payment by the FCTA, the area council should shoulder the responsibility of evacuating the refuse since the funds are there,” he said.

He added, “For example, in Gwagwalada and Kuje Area Councils, which have a larger population, the council chairmen have taken it upon themselves to evacuate the refuse. Hence, Abaji Area Council should not be an exception,” the YPP chairman said.

Mohammed also berated the council for failing to intervene over the lack of electricity in the area for the past two months due to the vandalism of electricity cables by suspected hoodlums.

He said residents of the council have been in darkness as a result of the theft of electricity cables, adding that the government has continued to shy away from liaising with the management of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) to fix the electricity problem.

“Abaji town has been in darkness for almost two months now, and nothing has been done by the present APC government. This has continued to affect many households, especially access to potable drinking water, as many houses with boreholes mostly depend on electricity to pump water. Since the vandals disrupted the electricity, we have been in darkness without any intervention by the authorities of the council,” he added.

Reacting, a senior official in the Environmental and Sanitation department of the council told our reporter that he would discuss the matter with the chief of staff to the chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Kandi, in order to reach out to the chairman for necessary action.

He pleaded with the residents, adding the council will do all it can to evacuate the refuse once the chairman is briefed and approval is given.