Why we should keep our surroundings clean

 It is natural for most people to want to keep their bodies and clothes clean and presentable at all times, which begs the question why do some people display nonchalance towards caring for their surroundings?There are times we come across those who, after eating snacks, local delicacies or junk foods, just dispose of the wraps […]

 It is natural for most people to want to keep their bodies and clothes clean and presentable at all times, which begs the question why do some people display nonchalance towards caring for their surroundings?
There are times we come across those who, after eating snacks, local delicacies or junk foods, just dispose of the wraps or papers by throwing them on the road, while on transit. There are also those who may own a hair salon or a market stall and after the day’s job, sweep the dirt from their places of business, into a  water drainage, instead of making use of trash cans. And those who dump refuse into many a puddle of water as a way of avoiding payment of dues to the Waste Management Board.
How long do we stay quiet and look on as our fellow country men and women create more problems in our society? How many times have we been partakers or hearers of arguments blaming the government for blocked drainages, forgetting that we have contributed and are still contributing to such issues? Why blame the Government when there is heavy rainfall and the drainages are too full of dirt to accommodate water, leading to flooded roads?
The Government is not the problem here, if we all were to make use of trash cans properly and not dispose our dirt indiscriminately, this particular issue would be non-existent. We have all contributed one way or another either by being culprits or bystanders. We do not rebuke those who exhibit these behaviour before us, instead, we accept it and turn the other way, after all, what difference will it make if we prevent one person from doing it, when someone else will do the same thing tomorrow?
There are so-called residential slums in our country where the refuse dump site is as high as the rooftop of the houses found there, as a result of this, the people living in these areas especially children are exposed to all kinds of diseases and they end up falling sick often, thereby creating a vicious cycle that never comes to an end.
I remember someone once said it is the “Nigerian way” to litter the streets, roads and gutters with dirt, but why is it that when these same Nigerians travel out, they do not litter the streets of other foreign countries, rather they adhere strictly to their rules? Or are they no longer Nigerians when they cross the border? The problem is, down here, at home, we have no regard for our land and our patriotism level is as deep as the shallow end of a kiddie pool!
It is high time we took charge of our environment and care for it as much as we care for ourselves and property. We cannot boast of being successful at our vocations/professions and having a good life with clean homes, when our water drainage systems can no longer flow because of the presence of dirt and our parts of our residential streets are refuse dump sites! Let us synergize and make our streets, roads and gutters refuse free! Make use of dustbins and dispose of your home and office trash wisely.

Eremionkhale, a Youth Corp member writes from Minna, Niger State.