Stakeholder advocates improved ways to dispose waste

By Stanley Onyekwere

Against the backdrop of the  revelation that the FCT Administration spends N8 billion annually on refuse in the city centre alone, the FCT Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Dr. Jumai Ahmadu has stated that the Administration is looking for innovative ways to make money from wastes.

Ahmadu, noted that the issue of waste generation and management in the FCT was what the Administration takes seriously and that making money from wastes would help keep the nation’s capital clean and off set costs in that area.

Recall that the FCT Minister of State, Dr. Ramatu Tijani Aliyu recently revealed that a huge sum of N8 billion is spent annually in waste handling in the city centre alone.

In spite of this, the nation’s capital cannot be said to be satisfactorily clean, compared to cities like Enugu, Jos and Calabar.

Ahmadu however noted that the FCT Administration would not take all the blame as  residents needed to be more than responsible in handling and disposing wastes.

She also frowned at the attitude of residents who, in spite of available waste bins choose to litter the environment with their wastes.

“The Administration has provided refuse bins in collection points, people have to manage their wastes from their homes to the collection point. In spite of huge money spent on wastes, the result is not showing; the Administration is looking for innovative ways to manage wastes and even make money from it,” she noted.

She said the agency responsible for waste management, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB had been talking to contractors and investors, those who are knowledgeable and responsible enough to manage and recycle wastes to come in.

“These wastes can  become a source of wealth, create employment and other opportunities if properly processed and handled.” She emphasised.

She took particular notice of Nyanya area of Abuja where she noted that massive wastes are being generated and that due to poor handling, after evacuation, 24 hours later, the environment would be fully littered.

She frowned at activities of scavengers, popularly know  as ‘Mai Bola’ who litter the collection areas in search of valuables.

Jumai called on residents to take responsibility and dispose their wastes neatly in black bags before bringing them to the collection centre.

When asked if the AEPB is doing enough, she said the agency was doing it’s best, given the peculiar nature of Abuja. She pointed out that the AEPB is in charge of the city Centre, while the Satellite Towns Development Department, STDD is in charge of satellite towns and area councils.

She also noted the peculiar nature of Abuja City Centre population, what she described as ‘day time population’ and  ‘night time population’ of Abuja.

That there is daily massive influx of people from neighbouring states of Nasarawa and Niger states, as well as area councils during the day and their activities and businesses generate wastes.

“The burden would have been less if it were Abuja population alone to cope with,” she noted.