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Ilorin residents lament heaps of refuse, water scarcity

 

Heaps of refuse have taken over major streets in Ilorin as a result of the inability of Kwara Waste Management Protection Agency (KWEPA) to evacuate garbage from waste bins since last month.

It was observed on Tuesday that the roro-bins, stationed at designated points across Ilorin, the state capital, were full to the brim, thereby forcing residents to dump refuse by the roadside and walkways.

Some of the residents, who spoke with newsmen, decried the situation, adding that it poses grave danger to people’s health, as failure to evacuate the refuse could lead to outbreak of diseases.

According to them, it had become a norm for the company to abandon refuse containers by the roadside until they emitted offensive odour into the atmosphere, causing serious discomfort to the residents.

The major areas mostly affected include the Oniyangi area on Emir’s Road, Princess Road/Balogun Fulani Road junction, Ilorin central market, Isale Oja roundabout and Ipata market, among others.

The absence of workers engaged to sweep major streets, was also observed, a development, a resident attributed to failure of the government to pay their salary arrears.

A resident of the Emir’s Road, Azeez Agbomojo, said that the protracted failure to clear refuse by the roadside had become unbearable for most residents, as it could cause an epidemic.

He urged the waste management agency to urgently initiate measures to address the development.

A trader, Aishat Ibrahim, also warned of the consequences of abandoning refuse by the streets, saying that the situation had destroyed the reputation of Ilorin as one of the cleanest cities in the country.

When contacted, the Press Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, Gbenga Ishola, expressed regret over the delay in waste evacuation in the city. He promised that the ministry would address the issue in due course.

In a related development, residents of Ilorin and its environs are groaning over perennial water scarcity which has resurfaced in the city.

Residents of the capital city now walk a distance to fetch water for drinking and other domestic use. Most of them source water from motorised borehole drilled by privileged individuals in their areas.

Some residents at Emir’s road, Balogun Fulani, Taiwo road, Okelele, Gambari and Baboko among others told journalists that the pitiable situation had become a recurrence decimal in Ilorin. They asserted that the state government was doing little to ameliorate the suffering of the people.

“No sooner them dry season sets in; we begin to experience water scarcity in earnest.

“It has become a perennial experience that government will need to urgently address with short and long term measures”, Ronke Asekunlowo said.

Reacting to the issue, the state Commissioner for Water Resources, Barr. Abdulrazaq Akorede, said the problem of water shortage in Ilorin would soon be resolved once the ongoing water reticulation project is completed.

He expressed optimism that with the level of works done so far, the project would be completed in the next four to five months.

The commissioner, however, lamented that some facilities of the water project were being destroyed by vandals, which he said was affecting the progress of the project.

He explained that both the state and the federal governments had carried out interventions on some water projects in the state.

According to him, there was an ongoing expansion of Malete waterworks and Agba Dam waterworks, which is almost completed.

“The construction of the Malete waterworks which was facilitated by the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki would be completed and inaugurated soon,” he said, adding that the state government would also work on the Oyun waterworks.

 

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