….As Community Questions Commitment of Bwari Area Council Chairman to Welfare of His People
…..As DG Operations promises to ensure evacuation of Arab Bridge refuse site latest next week
By Chibuike Nwabuko
Bwari, FCT – The Bwari Area Council has come under criticisms for allegedly collecting waste disposal and sanitation fees from residents without conscious efforts to carrying out its waste management duties, particularly on Arab Road, where piles of refuse have become a serious issue.
This is coming as the community is questioning the commitment of Bwari Area Council Chairman to the welfare of his people and for his failure to address critical infrastructure and environmental issues in the council, despite repeated complaints and requests for action.
One of such areas is along Arab Road, by the railway bridge, where an overwhelming heap of waste is quickly approaching a point of blocking the road completely. The refuse dump, which has been growing for months, poses not only environmental hazards but also traffic congestion as it narrows the road. It has also become a grazing spot where herdsmen abandon their cow to struggle for space with road users.
Despite collecting waste disposal fees from residents, the local council appears to be turning a blind eye to the deteriorating situation, leaving residents frustrated and concerned for their health and safety.
One of the residents who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonimity, said the most annoying part of the whole thing is that “The council collects waste fees from us every month, but we never see any action in terms of waste collection or street cleaning. This is becoming unbearable. We’ve been calling for help, but nothing is being done,”
Another resident, Femi Babalola, who expressed similar sentiments said: “The refuse pile near the railway bridge is not just an eyesore, but a breeding ground for rodents and mosquitoes. This is the responsibility of the council, and we are paying for services that we are not receiving.”
The Bwari Area Council’s failure to address this growing concern comes amid increasing complaints from various parts of the council area, where waste management services have been neglected despite residents fulfilling their financial obligations.
It is note-worthy that the growing waste issue not only damages the environment but also reflects poorly on the ability of the Bwari Area Council to meet its obligations. Residents are now urging the FCT Minister to monitor the activities of these councils more closely and ensure that refuse collection and other essential services are carried out promptly.
Similarly, okada riders and tricycle operators (aka Keke) are complaining over the deteriorating state of the roads, particularly the Byazhim Police Station. The stretch transversing from the police station up to the hill at Byazhim across has become notorious for its numerous, dangerous potholes that have become a serious hazard for motorists and pedestrians alike. Despite the area being a key route for both residents and commuters, it remains in a state of neglect, with no sign of repairs or maintenance from the Area Council except the little efforts from the women who deploy the resources generated from toll collected frim okada riders and tricycle operators plying the area.
The situation in Byazhim is compounded by the growing concern over environmental cleanliness. Several parts of the area, particularly along main roads and around residential neighborhoods, are plagued with uncollected refuse and illegal dumping. Residents say that despite paying waste management fees, they rarely see the promised garbage collection, and piles of refuse are often left to rot on the streets with some blocking the drainages.
Residents are now calling on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene and ensure that local councils fulfill their duties. “The FCT Minister should look into how the area councils are operating in terms of sanitation and refuse collection and disposal.
The FCT should be a leading example in terms of cleanliness for the thirty-six states of the federation to emulate and should depicts its status as the nations capital for the Nigerians and foreigners to be proud of. The time for proper supervision and accountability is now as the people are paying their dues.
When Precise Post contacted the Director Operation in charge of revenue collection, Dr. Remi Ndubuisi on what his organisation is doing to carry out its duties of evacuating the refuse, he highlighted that they were just engaged in october and they people are yet to commence payment contrary to the claim of the residents. He however said that they have mobilised tractor to commence the disposal of the refuse, adding that it takes about N400,000 to deploy a truck for a day. When asked if it is shortage of tractor that hampers the refuse disposal process, he said it is not about that but that it is one thing for residents to say that they are paying and that it is another thing to truly pay, asking whether they showed evidence of payment.
According to him, the tractor was deployed to work at Bwari on Monday and Tuesday, deployed at DeiDei yesterday. When reminded that the refuse at Arab road bridge has been there for more than three months, he said he will investigate the report and promised that by next week the evacuation of the refuge would be carried out.
