Reps To Probe Waste Crisis, Dysfunctional Street Lights In Abuja

The House of Representatives has resolved to investigate the immediate and remote causes of the persistent waste management crisis and the chronic, dysfunctional streetlights across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

This followed the adoption of a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance, moved by

Hon. Umar Shehu Ajilo from Kaduna state at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion, Ajilo expressed concern over the alarming state of environmental sanitation in the FCT characterised by the indiscriminate dumping of refuse, the accumulation of solid waste in public spaces, blockage of drainage and sewage systems and non-functionalities of street light across major highways, inner streets and in the public spaces.

He lamented the combined effects of mountains of waste, blockages of drainage and sewage systems, and pervasive darkness from non-functional streetlights, saying it is creating a dual crisis, transforming the nation’s capital from a modern city into a zone of public health emergency and security vulnerabilities.

Ajilo decried the severe public health hazards posed by these unsanitary conditions, including the breeding of disease vectors such as mosquitoes and others, which lead to increased outbreaks of malaria, typhoid, cholera, and Lassa fever, as well as contaminations of air and water sources, causing significant risks of illness and waterborne diseases.

“The direct threat to the health and well-being of millions of residents, including women, children and the most vulnerable elderly people. The security and safety implications of dysfunctional street lights, which created a conducive environment for criminal activities, such as armed robbery, kidnapping, vandalism, endangering the lives and property of citizens, making roads and pedestrians walk away hazards at night, leading to an increase in incidents and fatalities,”he added.

Speaking in support of the motion, Hon. Ahmed Jaha (APC, Borno) said that everyone living in Abuja experiences the consequences raised, especially during the rainy season.

“If you see the kind of gridlock usually witnessed in the FCT due to blockages of drainage, you will be shocked. The minister is working. Take it or leave it. Hate him or like him, Wike is the best minister of FCT we have ever seen.

“But the truth of the matter is, management of infrastructure is one thing, provision of infrastructure is another thing. If we have successfully obtained this report from the ad hoc committee, the attention of the FCT managers will be focused on the issue of infrastructure management, which is very critical.”

Also contributing, Hon. Sada Soli(APC, Katsina) said…”there are some fundamental issues that are wrong, that are going wrong within the FCT, whether the minister is aware or those that are in charge of those things are aware.

“The fact is, we are residents of the FCT. The city is filthy. The city is dirty. It is filthy and it endangers the health condition of the residents and the visitors of the FCT and also the environment. There is a need for those in charge to take action; they must recognise their responsibilities.

“…If we allow the dirty condition, the proliferation of refuse all over, taking over the streets, I think it will endanger the lives of the visitors and also the residents of the FCT. And also it will increase the health bill of the FCT in taking care of some of the airborne diseases and water-borne diseases as a result of the refuse that is all over the city.”