WASTE MANAGEMENT: Government Must Avoid Possible Outbreak of Disease in Aba.... FENRAD Urges Citizens To Save Aba And Its Residents From A Possible Outbreak of Disease.

Refuse everywhere in Aba

"FENRAD is raising this alarm as a result of reckless dumping and non-evacuation of refuse going on in certain areas one never expected that such would happen. It is an eyesore to see mountains of refuse changing the entire commercial city of Aba into an urban slum that can never be seen anywhere in the world.

A foremost environmental and Human Rights organisation, the Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD) has called on government and concerned stakeholders to immediately, come to the rescue of the residents of the popular Aba city in Abia state.

FENRAD made this call on Wednesday, April 26, 2023 via a statement made available to journalists across the country, owing to the dirty state of the Eyinmba city, that is said to be one of the most industrialized cities in the country.

In the statement signed by its Executive Director, Comrade Nelson Nnanna Nwafor,  FENRAD said:

"FENRAD wishes to use this medium to call on the Abia State Government; Ministry of Environment and Abia State Environmental Protection Agency (ASEPA) to save Aba and its residents from a possible outbreak of disease.

"FENRAD is raising this alarm as a result of reckless dumping and non-evacuation of refuse going on in certain areas one never expected that such would happen. It is an eyesore to see mountains of refuse changing the entire commercial city of Aba into an urban slum that can never be seen anywhere in the world. 

"It is heartbreaking and calls for concern that even the major well-planned areas in Aba like Eziukwu, Asa Road, Jubilee Road, Hospital Road and even St Michael's Road are gradually becoming homes for street rodents and all kinds of vectors, as mountains of refuse keep increasing with nobody to attend to it.

"We are aware that this current government barely have just a month to vacate office, but this is not happy to end an eight-year leadership. We want to remind those in charge of the Ministry of Environment and ASEPA that there are still human beings in Aba who need a good Environment not just good for revenue collection. 

"In the course of our on-the-spot assessment, we discovered other heavy refuse dumps at Ngwa Road, Ogbor Hill and Port-Harcourt Road and where heaps of sachet water packets have blocked the drainage channels. 

"The situation portends a serious health hazard, as the air is polluted with the stench from the gutters and reticles filled with refuse.

"We equally discovered that major roads in Aba like Osusu, Omuma, Port Harcourt Road, Obohia, Ohanku, Eziukwu, Cemetery, Ogonnaya, Danfodio, Etche, East, Umule and so many others do not have a single refuse collection receptacle. This leaves us to ask whether ASEPA want the residents of these areas to consume their waste as food. 

"It is disheartening to see ASEPA using a major street of Aba Like Azikiwe Road by Asa as a refuse collection point which creates gridlock in this area, while they can easily create a better strategy for refuse collection which could help keep that very important spot very clean for residents and visitors. 

"Despite our open and obvious dislike for the poor performances of ASEPA in refuse disposal and collection in Aba, we must state it clearly that Abia State Government is responsible for the refuse problem in Aba through terrible appointments in ASEPA leadership, poor funding and non-provision of adequate equipment. 

"It's disheartening that the State government finds it very difficult to relinquish the authority of refuse collection and disposal to local government authorities who can easily handle the situation with the state government's supervision. 

"Having seen the obvious failure of this administration and previous ones in handling refuse collection and disposal in Aba, we, therefore, charge the incoming Government to ensure that the much talked about "Ministry of Aba" will have a separate Environmental Agency capable of mapping out a better strategy for refuse collection and disposal. 

"The government has not taken the issue of refuse collection and disposal very seriously in Aba because if they have, they should know that with mega markets like Ariaria, Ahia-Ohuru, Cemetery, Eke-Oha, Asa-Nnetu, Uratta-Integrated and other minor markets like Ehere, Highlife, Amaogbonna, Aforule, Ahia-Nkwor, Nkwor-Ngwa, Kent, Achuaru, Good Morning, Salad, Allen, School Road and Railway Halt all having people trooping in and out, serious mobile collection and disposal is needed. 

"If this current method of collection and disposal is maintained by the incoming Government then, we at FENRAD will be highly disappointed because what we are seeing now is endangering the lives of everybody in Aba and must be abandoned for a better idea." It concluded.

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Foundation for Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD Nigeria.
Tel/WhatsApp 08033383708, 07062949232,
Email: fenradnigeria@yahoo.com
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Info@fenrad.org.ng.
Website: www.fenrad.org.ng
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Foundation For Environmental Rights, Advocacy & Development (FENRAD)
Plot 101 Jubilee Road, By mosque Street, 2nd Floor, Front, Aba, Abia State.
SOUTHEAST REGIONAL OFFICE;
Plot 11/13 Ezillo Avenue, Independence Layout, Enugu, Enugu State;
Tel: 08033383708, 07062949232, 08056480504
Email: fenradnigeria@yahoo.com, info.fenradnigeria@gmail.com. www.fenrad.org.ng
Facebook@fenradnigeria Twitter@fenradnigeria  Skype;@fenradnigeria.