1st September, 2010
Motorists and commuters passing through the Kuto area of Abeokuta, Ogun State, South West, Nigeria have called on Governor Gbenga Daniel to direct the chairman of Abeokuta South Local Government to compel his officials in charge of waste management in the council to be alive to their responsibilities as refuse has taken over the busy Kuto road, a development that is not only consisting environmental nuisance to road users but also visitors as an eyesore.
Some of those who spoke with P.M.NEWS last Friday said the refuse always piled up for four to five days before the officials in charge of Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation WES of the council would come to evacuate the refuse, a development they described as negligence of duty by the officials. They therefore called on the Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel to urgently wake up the council officials from their slumber to be alive to their responsibility of refuse evacuation on Kuto road every day.
According to a motorist who identified himself simply as Goke, the refuse used to pile up on the road median for days before the waste management officials evacuate it, “what are they collecting salary for, they should be compelled to always remove the refuse as at when due to save motorists and road users of epidemics”, he stated.
When P.M.NEWS visited the Abeokuta South Local Government secretariat to see the chairman for comment, he was said to have gone out but the director in charge of water supply and environmental sanitation who refuse to mention his name said, those who are complaining of poor service on Kuto road are economical with the truth and they are the same people dumping refuse indiscriminately on the road median.
“We normally clear the refuse everyday, but because of the market and the motor park there and some unscrupulous members of the public who usually come from other areas to dump refuse there at midnight, the refuse always pile up overnight.
We have 15 places when we constantly clear refuse everyday and it is only Kuto road that is giving us problem. We are now going to introduce drastic measures” he said.
—Paul Iyoghojie