Residents decry rising refuse dumps across Abuja

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have decried the increasing rate of refuse dumps on streets and major roads within the city centre and surrounding areas.

They described the unhygienic trend as a threat to public health and an eyesore in the nation’s capital.

One of the residents, Mr John Shawa, mentioned the Bwari, Dutse, Kubwa Expressway, and Gwarinpa axes as major areas of concern.

Similarly, Mrs Rhoda Essien, a resident of Dutse, said the “growing unhygienic situation” called for stronger campaigns on behavioural change regarding sanitation.

Essien noted that the effects of such poor waste practices could increase the spread of diseases and cause environmental damage that would eventually affect everyone, including the offenders.

“I see people in vehicles dump waste along the roadside, which is terrible.

“Along the Usuma Dam road in Dutse and Bwari road, there is a refuse site there. Once it is evacuated, people return to dump waste again. It is so wrong,” she said.

She added that a ditch on one of the flyovers along the Kubwa expressway had become a large refuse dump, “a very sad sight to behold in Abuja.”

Essien stressed the need for reorientation and a major campaign against indiscriminate dumping, calling on the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and the Bwari Area Council to work together to address the situation.

In a related development, residents of Kuje Area Council also expressed concern over the growing menace.

Mrs Juliet Izien said there was a need for community collaboration to stop the trend.

She urged communities to work together to curb the unhygienic practice and recommended penalties for offenders.

“There should be a big notice saying ‘No Dumping of Refuse,’ and anyone caught should be arrested, no matter who they are. We must all be vigilant enough to apprehend defaulters,” she said.

Izien also suggested that communities employed sanitary inspectors or environmental officers to monitor waste disposal at least once a month.

According to her, such measures will help enforce proper sanitation practices.

Another resident, Mrs Faith Nwosu, a school teacher in Kuje, said residents were guilty of dumping waste at undesignated places, and authorities had shown little or no firmness in addressing the situation.

She said some residents had made consistent efforts to clean up affected streets, but the refuse often resurfaced.

“It is worrisome, and therefore, there is a need for proper monitoring and enforcement of sanitation laws in these areas,” she added.

Nwosu emphasised that a clean environment would help reduce the spread of communicable diseases such as cholera.

She called on relevant stakeholders to intensify sanitation and hygiene sensitisation efforts in Kuje communities and across the FCT.