Residents groan as refuse takes over Yenagoa

Residents of Bayelsa State, particularly those living in Yenagoa, the state capital, are groaning as refuse has taken over the metropolis.

Investigation by Saturday PUNCH show that many designated refuse dumps along some roads in Yenagoa are filled with waste.

It was observed that the affected roads had been narrowed by refuse, preventing vehicular movement.

Some of the roads are Yenizue-Gene, Biogbolo-Epie, Ekeki, Amarata, Onopa, Opolo-Epie, Okaka, Okutukutu and Etegwe.

A resident, Fyneface Preye, lamented the development, blaming the Bayelsa Environmental Sanitation Authority for not removing the refuse.

Preye pointed out that the odour oozing from the refuse dumps could have serious health implications for the residents.

'I don't know what the environmental sanitation authority is doing. Many of the dumps on the roads in Yenagoa are smelling and this is not good for the health of the people,' Preye said.

Another resident, who simply gave her name as Marvelous, described the situation as 'appalling', condemning the sanitation agency for not performing its duties.

Marvelous said, 'The poor sanitary condition of Yenagoa is giving residents serious cause for concern.

'When you see the same bags of waste in the same positions at the dump every day and every week, then you don't need to be told that this sanitation people are not working.'

She called on the agency to wake up from its slumber and save the residents from danger.

Efforts to reach the Chairman of the state Environmental Sanitation Authority, Abel Ebifemowei, was unsuccessful as he did not answer our correspondent's calls on Thursday.

But Ebifemowei's media aide, Eric Eweke, said, 'The sanitation authority is on top of the situation.'

Eweke claimed in a telephone interview that some of the refuse sites were not approved points for dumping of wastes.

'We are on top of the situation. People are throwing refuse into the drainage anyhow. But we are dealing with the situation,' he said. Punch