FCT residents demand return of monthly sanitation

Some residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja have called for the reintroduction of periodic sanitation exercises to keep the territory clean, address hygiene challenges and environmental pollution.

The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja, said periodic sanitation exercises, if properly enforced, would significantly improve public health.

The residents wondered why the exercise, which they were already used to and dedicated to carrying out collective thorough cleaning of their environment, was suspended in the first place.

The residents, therefore, called for the reintroduction of the monthly exercise in order to take ownership of their surroundings and improve the overall cleanliness of their environment.

NAN recalls that the monthly sanitation exercise was introduced across the country in 1984 during the military regime of Maj.-Gen. Muhammadu Buhari.

The sanitation exercise was backed by a Decree titled War Against Indiscipline, which restricted movements every last Saturday of the month, for three hours, for people to clean their environment.

NAN also reports that, because of the importance of the monthly exercise in promoting a clean and healthy environment, fostering a sense of community responsibility, it gradually became a culture across states, decades after Buhari’s military regime.

The exercise, which was modified and redefined across states, in implementation, in the areas of date, duration and strict enforcement, however, gradually declined in effectiveness and participation.

It would also be recalled that, a few months after his appointment as FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, announced the decision of his administration to reintroduce monthly sanitation as part of strategies to keep the city clean.

The minister said he had already briefed President Bola Tinubu on the idea that, at least, two Saturdays in a month will be declared for sanitation from 7 am to 10 am.

He had explained that the move would enable companies supporting the FCT with logistics to go to market and other public places to evacuate refuse.

“We must all make sacrifices. There is nothing like, we are going to suffer. You also contribute to refuse.

“So, if you spare three hours on a Saturday at home to clear the refuse and bring them out for us to evacuate and dispose, then that is the little way you can help,” the minister had said.

NAN reports that the reintroduction of the monthly sanitation exercise has, however, not been implemented, two years after the announcement by the minister.

Mr Amos Abache, a resident and community leader in Bwari town, told NAN that restoring the monthly sanitation day with full enforcement by relevant authorities would promote community participation in cleaning and waste management.

He frowned at the development where major streets in Bwari and other satellite towns in the territory have been turned into dump sites with attendant health, sanitation and aesthetic implications.

“At least, once a month, as it was done in the past, preferably on weekends, residents should be compelled by the authorities to come outside to clean up their surroundings.

“They should be able to cut overgrown grasses, clear drainage, gather and burn up wastes and refuse and so on.

“This will not only make the environment look beautiful and clean, but will also reduce the spread of diseases like cholera, malaria and typhoid, because it will eliminate the breeding grounds for mosquitoes and rodents,’’ he said.

Abache added that, to ensure the effectiveness of the exercise, authorities must have environmental health officers and law enforcement agents on the field, for compliance.

He added that sanitation mobile courts should also be deployed to prosecute and mete out punishments to defaulters.

Another resident, Mrs Rabi Ohida, a health worker in the FCT, said periodic sanitation would help keep public spaces, markets, streets, and drainage systems clean, while reducing pollution and unsightly waste.She added that the government must be relentless in the fight against environmental pollution, as the consequences are dire and constitute a threat to human lives.

Ohida opined that just like on security matters, stakeholders must continue to encourage community engagement in sanitation, and task residents to take ownership of their environment.

This, she said, would not only promote a sense of responsibility but also provide an opportunity to educate residents on waste disposal, recycling, and hygiene practices.

“The campaign against environmental pollution must go on, it must not stop.

“Awareness and education on environmental sanitation must continue, irrespective of violations or non-responses from residents.

“So, asking residents to come out on a particular day, at least, once a month, to clean their surroundings after cleaning their interior, will not be a bad idea.

“It is a necessary step to improve our environment healthwise and its aesthetics,” she said.

Mr Mohammed Sani, a businessman, also agreed that involving citizens in maintaining cleanliness would lessen the pressure on the local council authority and their partners on sanitation.

This, he said, would allow residents to show some sense of responsibility for their habitat and not only rely on the government to come and evacuate the refuse they had created.

Sani said, “Clean environments are more attractive, can raise property values, and improve quality of life.

“You can see how most areas in the FCT are dirty, with waste all over the place, especially on the major roads.

“These were done by people. So, if they are asked to periodically come out and gather all these themselves, with a sanction attached, they will learn to adjust and stop indiscriminate dumping.”

Mr Zachary Abutu, an environmentalist, however, noted that, from experience, periodic sanitation might result in inconsistent participation among residents, leading to uneven results and frustration among those who contribute regularly.

He argued that, the exercise, though with good intentions, the exercise would be those who might see it as a disruption of their day activity, violation of their right to free movement, and would tend to frustrate the process.

“Market closures, roadblocks, or business interruptions during clean-up days can affect livelihoods and daily routines and so, government must be ready to ensure proper coordination.

“This is because, lack of proper planning, sensitisation and even supervision can render the effort ineffective or inefficient,” he said.

Abutu added that, if sanitation is not continuous or supported by good waste management systems, the area would become dirty, soon after.

He, however, agreed that periodic sanitation exercise with proper enforcement is a useful tool for maintaining community hygiene and good health.

Abutu added that the exercise must be supported with regular waste collection across the territory in order to be truly effective.

He said balancing its enforcement with community education, incentives and sanctions, where necessary, would go a long way in improving the outcome.