RE; ABA RESIDENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL DESECRATION – Inhabitant feels they do the government wrong
By Elder Mark Izuchukwu
Of recency, many have written on the present condition of Aba as relate to her environmental clealiness. However, most writers have failed to narrow down on the inherent cause of this undesirable state.
Many have blamed the government especially the Governor. Yes, inasmuch as the number one citizen of the State can’t be exempted from the scene, it would be of public interest, to note that the problem with Aba environmental condition as relate to cleanliness is on inhabitants’ general wrong orientation on refuse dumping.
The hidden fact is that a government with little effort, can achieve #more in a place where inhabitants have adequate orientation on domestic waste management while a government with heavy effort will achieve #less in a place where inhabitants have little or inadequate knowledge on domestic refuse dumping.
Firstly, in many cities of the world, points of city refuse dump (CRD) are not positioned close to residential homes. Only that Dustmen (refuse collectors), move round to collect domestic/household refuse. This is an established practice in places where inhabitants hold good knowledge on domestic/household waste management.
In an environment with healthy waste orientation, citizens from their respective homes understand the difference between #degradable refuse and non degradable refuse and so, consciously package their domestic and households refuse in accordance, in wait for the Dustmen who come in batches according to how they’re designated to carry the refuse either degradable or non degradable.
However, on the cleanliness matter, the inhabitants of any city hold a direct influence on their condition. Likewise in Abia. Those in Abia, particularly the inhabitants in Aba, have very wrong influence and are equally contributors to the face of Aba. Bad orientation is the rooted cause of dirty Abia. Not even on often used but wrong reason given on the heavy commercial activities that go on in Aba.
An average Aba inhabitant feels he do the government wrong when he indiscriminately throw his domestic refuse on his road or street. If not, how could an environment like Aba, well planned and positioned, suffer the shame of be tagged #a_dirty_city always?
#Everyone (many will hate this word used here) in Aba, fall into the major stakeholders and contributors to our present dirty environmental condition. Everybody, I mean. Directly or indirectly, we encourage the wrong practises, by our #silence, our insensitivity to the effects. Because, those who throw indiscriminately, are #still our neighbors, family or church members and colleagues. We know them all, but will do thing, only wait to blame government.
If we all, today should behave like the then Unijos students of early 2000s, who were all conscious enough to recall anybody’s attention to pick up his or her dirt whenever wrongly dumped, or make it a case instantly, our environment will #change. If not, we should be mindful of the fact, that no city of the world wears a fine and attractive face, when her inhabitants live lives of #e_concern_me or #mind_your_own_business kind of attitude over environmental cleanliness condition.
Therefore, is not #only a government responsibility, but a collective owned and shared responsibility, to see that our environment (Aba) becomes attractive. And this can be actualized, if all should embrace a new orientation on waste management.
Churches, families, schools, health centers, ASEPA or what should preach this message. No dirty human who dump indiscriminately can even see God. Because cleanliness is still to godliness. So, we must help to keep our environment clean. Yes we can!