Sanitation, the key threat in Borno, Yobe

The same picture is what is obtained in Babbar Tsangaya, One million road, Nayinawa and Njewaji layout among several others in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital. The resultant effect of this ugly scenario is the preponderance of filth giving rise to the spread of deadly diseases such as cholera, breeding of mosquitoes that cause the […]

The same picture is what is obtained in Babbar Tsangaya, One million road, Nayinawa and Njewaji layout among several others in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

The resultant effect of this ugly scenario is the preponderance of filth giving rise to the spread of deadly diseases such as cholera, breeding of mosquitoes that cause the killer malaria and serious damage to the ecosystem even as many families keep on battling with ravaging effects of malaria and diarrhoea.

In Borno State for instance, health authorities have attributed the recent cholera outbreak which led to the death of many people across in Biu and other local government areas as well as Maiduguri, to the deteriorating condition of the environment which is characterised by non availability of water,  blockage of drainages arising from dumping refuse into drainages by residents.

Many families around Bolori settlements in Maiduguri have to leave their houses in rainy seasons because of poor drainage as water submerge their houses beside the attendant consequence of polluted environment.

Only recently, over 100 people died of cholera in Biu Local Government of the state with the cause attributed to poor sanitation. “wells are the major source of water for the people and since there are no functional drainages, as soon as it rains, the environment gets polluted”, Usman Ali, a health official said.

Borno State Commissioner of Health, Zubairu Maina said government was doing its best to prevent further spread and also assist victims with medication. He urged residents to embark upon regular sanitation of their environments to complement efforts of government in that regard on major roads.

Though there are yet no cases of cholera in Yobe State except in Gulani Local Government which shares border with Biu, there are fears of imminent outbreak unless health and environmental officials rise up to the challenges of improving the condition of culverts and drainages, build new ones to allow uninterrupted passage of water and also evacuate heaps of dumps located in many locations in Damaturu and other major towns like Nguru, Gashua and Potiskum.

When our correspondent went round Damaturu metropolis recently, the condition of some residential areas was pathetic because of apparent disregard to issues relating to health by government authorities and the people in general.

Immediately one approaches Babbar Tsangaya, a suburb which houses many indigent families and Islamiya Schools (Makarantar Allo), a horrible smell oozing out of a large area dedicated for refuse dumping is enough to turn one’s stomach.  

Going deep down into the settlement unveils an abandoned mines field which now stores stagnant water and by extension, a breeding ground for mosquitoes and diseases.

Ibrahim Mohammed Aliyu who sells engine oil along Tukubar Akawu lamented that even though there were drainages around his business premises, such conveniences were not maintained or evacuated.

“Sometimes we contribute money and remove filth from the drainage but no one cares to come and pack away the dirt…it is very unfortunate”, Aliyu said.

Another ugly trend in Damaturu is the flagrant abuse of town planning even in areas like Sabon Fegi and commissioners quarters where more affluent people live.

This is inherent in the attitude of landlords who dig and build septic tanks by the side of the main road instead of within their houses. This attitude became more disturbing during the recent road construction embarked upon by the state government when such sewages were destroyed to give way for the construction. In some places, human faeces flooded nearby drainages.

Our correspondents report that weekly or monthly environmental sanitation in which families are forced to stay at home for some hours especially on Saturdays is virtually non existent. In Yobe State for instance, about three different commissioners who held sway in the ministry of environment had promised introducing the sanitation exercise without success.

Between 2007 and 2008, the state government had established Local Government Sanitation Committees in all the seventeen local government areas of the state and redeployed hundreds of local government employees to man the offices but that did not improve the poor environmental status of the committees.

Each local government was also given brand new Hilux truck which are being used by chairmen of the committees and a stipulated sum of money as over head.

Unfortunately however, most of the chairmen have converted the truck into utility vehicles which they use conveniently in bringing home their farm produce or attending political rallies instead of the actual environmental activities.

The new commissioner of environment Alhaji Wakili Sarki has however noted that a new approach to the activities of the environmental committees has been approved by Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

According to him, “Successive governments have formulated policies aimed at solving environmental problems including filth, pollution and degradation that characterised urban and semi urban settlements. However, improper articulation of such policies has continued to plaque the implementation of the programmes”, he said.

“The above scenario is not unconnected to the dysfunctional attitude of our people, in fact the situation is becoming a matter of national disgrace”, he added.

He said the governor had mandated his ministry to properly monitor the activities of the environmental committees and track their expenses as well as receive monthly report from them.

Sarki said very soon, environmental sanitation would be introduced, adding that the state government had given his ministry ten tipper trucks for evacuation of refuse.   

A resident of one million road, Malam Barau Dahiru has called on the state government to declare war on filth, drainage congestion and environmental degradation. He also called on the state government to fumigate all settlements in the state capital in order to reduce the incidences of malaria as a result of mosquito bite.

“The truth is that most of us have to enter our houses as early as 7.30 p.m. in order to dodge mosquito bite outside. If government can apply insecticide in the drainages, we are sure of using our little resources in buying other necessities instead of malaria drugs”, he said

Governments of both states have usually said they were doing so much in the area of environmental sanitation- though government has so much responsibility in regard to construction of drainages and its evacuation, it seems that residents especially in densely populated areas of the two states have found it rather usual to pollute their own environments and leave their own lives and those of their families and others, under severe threat. Unless something is done for reorientation, the last may not have been heard of cholera epidemics in Borno and Yobe states.