Akwa Ibom, once lauded as the cleanest State in Nigeria, now faces an overwhelming challenge with refuse dumps spreading across its streets and major markets in both the metropolis and suburbs.
“We pay sanitation fee in Itam Market even here we are selling, but look at how the place is. Though sometimes they come to evacuate the waste but this place is always dirty,” expressed Madam Imoh, a water leaf seller near a refuse dump.
The waste heaps are particularly concentrated in the markets, and traders, especially those selling fruits and other edibles, continue to operate in close proximity to these refuse dumps, despite the noxious stench oozing from the sites. This poses not only a health threat to these vulnerable sellers, mostly women, but also to the customers who unknowingly purchase contaminated foods and fruits.
According to Barr Clifford Thomas, the Executive Director of the Foundation for Civic Education, Human Rights and Development Advancement (FOCEHRADA), the government’s waste management system is faulty and unsustainable. He commented, “What we do is clean, pack refuse from some key points in Akwa Ibom State, film those key points, do a report to whoever gives that award and at the end of the day, we are described as the cleanest state in Nigeria. The ability to sustain that is doubtful.”
Thomas further revealed a distressing revelation about the Uyo Village Road dumpsite, stating that it serves as a major water source for 24 local government areas in the state. However, it has been contaminated with waste, leading to an increase in cases of malaria and typhoid fever in the state. “The place where we dump waste in Akwa Ibom State is supposed to be a UNESCO site. That place has a spring because it leads straight to the water level where the water table is. It is a UNESCO heritage site but they have destroyed it,” he added.
In response to the mounting waste issue, Prince Akpan Ikim, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), acknowledged the increased volume of waste generated in Uyo. He assured the public that his agency was diligently working to address the problem by identifying places with a high volume of wastes.
Ikim attributed the situation to the state’s population growth and the high cost of hiring waste trucks due to expensive diesel prices. “We will try as much as possible to be on top of our game,” he stated.
The Chairman also lamented that some local government councils were shortchanging the agency by introducing their own by-laws and collecting sanitation fees in markets without maintaining cleanliness. He urged these local governments to use the collected fees to properly evacuate waste from markets.
“Some local governments woke up and said they have done a by-law on the environment. Those persons have also devised a means for collecting sanitation fees in local markets. I will not evacuate waste for you in a market where you are collecting fees,” said Chairman Ikim.
The waste management crisis in Akwa Ibom demands urgent attention and effective solutions to prevent further environmental degradation and protect public health. Without prompt and sustainable action, the state’s reputation as once being the cleanest in Nigeria may become a distant memory, overshadowed by the pressing waste menace.
