Group Raises Alarm Over Mounting Refuse in Parts of Abuja

… Demands Urgent Intervention

Speak Out for Justice Advocacy Ltd./GTE. (SOJA) has raised the alarm over the accumulation of refuse at major public locations in Dutse and Zuba, Abuja, warning that the worsening sanitation situation could pose growing environmental and public-health concerns if urgent action is not taken.

The human rights, anti-corruption and justice advocacy organisation, in a statement signed by its Founder and Executive Director, Hameed Jimoh, on Sunday, called on the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), relevant Area Councils and other responsible authorities to urgently intervene.

SOJA specifically identified a stretch of the Dutse–Bwari Road, between the Police Sign Board and Tipper Garage Junction, Dutse, Bwari, as one of the locations affected by substantial waste accumulation.

It also reported a similar situation around the Zuba Garage Bridge, particularly at the point where refuse is visible to motorists and other road users approaching from or descending from the bridge.

According to the organisation, the fact that significant waste accumulation has been observed at more than one strategic public location calls for a broader environmental assessment rather than isolated clean-up exercises.

At the Dutse location, SOJA said the accumulated refuse is accompanied by a strong and offensive odour that is disturbing motorists, pedestrians, residents, traders and other members of the public who regularly use the route.

It warned that prolonged accumulation of waste could attract flies, rodents and other disease vectors, interfere with drainage and contribute to environmental degradation and other sanitation concerns.

However, the organisation stressed that it was not claiming that the waste had caused any particular disease or contamination without the findings of an appropriate environmental or public-health assessment.

Rather, it said the continued accumulation and associated nuisance presented foreseeable risks that authorities should address before they become more serious.

SOJA argued that the issue goes beyond aesthetics, stressing that environmental sanitation is linked to public welfare, dignity, safety and quality of life.

It cited Section 14(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, which provides that “the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” saying effective environmental sanitation and responsible waste management form part of the broader responsibilities necessary to safeguard community welfare.

The organisation also expressed concern that simply evacuating the refuse without addressing the underlying causes could lead to a recurrence.

It urged the authorities to investigate whether adequate waste-collection arrangements exist in the affected areas, determine whether individuals or businesses are routinely dumping refuse at the locations and establish whether surrounding communities have sufficient waste-disposal facilities.

SOJA further called for regular monitoring of the affected areas and effective enforcement of existing environmental sanitation regulations.

Among its immediate demands, the organisation urged the FCTA, AEPB and relevant Area Council authorities to inspect the identified locations, evacuate and properly dispose of the accumulated waste, assess the surrounding environmental conditions and identify, where possible, those responsible for indiscriminate dumping.

It also called for stronger waste-collection systems, public enlightenment, community engagement and periodic post-clean-up inspections to prevent the affected locations from becoming permanent dumping sites.

SOJA advocated a broader sanitation assessment of major roads, bridges, junctions, markets and other public spaces in the affected areas to determine whether similar refuse accumulation exists elsewhere.

The organisation maintained that environmental sanitation was a shared responsibility between government and citizens.

While government agencies must provide effective waste-management systems, enforce relevant regulations and maintain monitoring mechanisms, it said residents, traders, businesses and other members of the public must also dispose of waste responsibly.

“No government can maintain a clean environment if citizens deliberately turn public roads, drainage channels, bridges and open spaces into unauthorized dumping grounds,” SOJA said.

At the same time, it noted that citizens could not reasonably be expected to comply with waste-management requirements where adequate collection systems and disposal facilities were unavailable.

The organisation therefore called for stronger coordination among the FCT Administration, AEPB, Area Council authorities, community leaders, businesses and residents.

It also urged the authorities to explore improved waste-collection systems, strategically located disposal facilities, recycling initiatives, community sanitation programmes, stronger enforcement and technology-based monitoring of persistent dumping locations.

SOJA said its intervention was intended as constructive civic engagement rather than criticism of government institutions, urging the authorities to treat the matter as an opportunity to establish a sustainable solution.

“The removal of waste should not be the end of the intervention. It should be the beginning of a sustainable solution,” the organisation said.

SOJA called on the relevant authorities to act promptly, investigate the underlying causes of the refuse accumulation and put measures in place to prevent its recurrence.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to human rights, environmental responsibility, accountability, good governance, public welfare, access to justice and the rule of law.