FCT residents lament bridge turned to refuse dump

Residents of Kubwa, a suburban community in the Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, have lamented the dumping of refuse by cart-pushing waste collectors, otherwise known as the ‘Baban bola’, calling for the government’s intervention in proper waste collection and management.

One of the major areas that the residents said had become an eyesore is along the Arab Road and bridge, where cart-pushing waste collectors almost perpetually dump refuse despite its proximity to residential houses, schools, and businesses.

Some residents who spoke to PUNCH Metro on Monday also slammed the complacency of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board and the Satellite Towns Development Department in ensuring proper waste collection and disposal in the community.

“There used to be a time when garbage trucks from the AEPB would pass by I think twice a week. Recently, we don’t see them anymore. What we see are these “bola” guys who go around to collect the trash early in the morning. I thought perhaps they were commissioned by the AEPB, but if they are disposing of trash by the roadsides and on the bridge, then it can’t be.
“Those heaps can only be described as an eyesore. They deface the community, and when it rains, it stinks. Not to mention the diseases that are easily transmitted. We have tried to get across to the FCTA several times, to no avail”, a resident of Arab Road, Kubwa, Mr Ifeanyi, told our correspondent.

“These ‘bola’ people dump their refuse here, and it smells a lot. Some time ago, those who lived closer to the place and around that community fought against it. And they cleared it. But the fight wasn’t taken seriously. After a while, they started dumping refuse there again”, another resident in the community, Umar Faruk, explained.
Another resident, Adejoh Ameh, expressed concern over the health hazards caused by the refuse, especially during the rainy season, noting that there was also the challenge of breeding rodents, flies, and mosquitoes.
“Unfortunately, we are learning to live with it. And I say that on a sad note. During the rainy season, that place is a breeding ground for rats, mosquitoes, and even flies. And if you look around, there are schools, community markets, and residential houses all around, which means it is a health hazard. We beg the Chairman of Bwari Area Council, the coordinator of Satellite towns and AEPB to help us”, he lamented.

Meanwhile, some of the waste collectors, who spoke to our correspondent, denied being responsible for disposing of the waste along the road.

“We are not the ones who dump refuse here. We only throw cartons and paper waste here”, one of them, Danjuma, declared. “Those of us who are here know each other. We are not the ones who throw dirt here. If you come another day, you may meet them,” he added.

As of the time of filing this report, several attempts to reach the Director General of the AEPB, Osilama Braimah, proved abortive as the line was repeatedly engaged. Similarly, the Coordinator of the AEPB, Abdulkadir Zulkiflu, could not be reached as his number was unreachable. Our correspondent left text messages that were yet to be responded to.