Warri turns filthy again

EPIDEMIC looms in Warri Metropolis as
residents have defied government efforts at
making the oil rich city clean by deliberately
embarking on indiscriminate dumping of refuse
in all nooks and crannies of the city.
Saturday Vanguard tour of the city revealed
heaps of filth in almost all major roads
especially the PTI Road, Ogunu Road,
Cemetery Road and Deco Road. Many parts of
the city battle with filth which oozes out
repugnant stench.
Most hit is the ever busy PTI Road after the
popular Effurun market where traders pile up
huge quantity of refuse that takes members of
the Waste Management Board several days to
clear any time they start operation. And their
operations are not regular. The residents
appear adamant to government directives to
use refuse containers which the Waste
Management Board ought to clear almost on
a daily basis. It doesn’t so happen and the
residents don’t equally care about their
health. Epidemic looms.
Condemning the residents’ action during a
press briefing in Asaba recently, an agitated
Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan said,
“Sanitation starts with the individual, those
dumping refuse on the median are insane,
they need mental checks, if not how can
someone in his right senses dump refuse in
the median of a dual road?”
The bewildered Governor appealed to Deltans
to change their attitude as cleanliness is
everyone’s business, insisting that his
administration was bent on making Delta
State clean.
However, those charged with cleaning up the
city also need to step up their operations.
They have equally failed the governor.
Mr. Famous Oviemo, a resident in Cemetery
road said, “the people’s attitude is very bad
and condemnable. This can lead to epidemic
outbreak. How can someone wake up and
dump refuse on the median of a road and
sometimes they do so on the roadside. This is
bad. This attitude is wicked, irresponsible and
unhealthy.”
Adding her voice, Miss Margaret Okulu said,
“This is unbecoming of the people. It was not
like this before, this attitude just started since
the government started the rigorous
sanitation exercise.”
On his part, Chief Olori Magege, Chairman
Delta State Waste Management Board said,
“That is a criminal act; it is so bad that
people have decided to frustrate the state
efforts. There are plans by the World Bank and
Delta State Waste management Board to
commence clean up operations next month. It
will be a thing of the past when we start work
in a matter of days”.