Jikwoyi is one of the busiest and highly populated suburban areas under the AMAC Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. In this feature, MAGDALENE OFFIONG takes a look at the health implication of indiscriminate disposal of refuse in Jikwoyi and environs, as well as the traffic gridlock occasioned by population explosion in the area.
Jikwoyi is one of the growing satellite towns in the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT) Abuja under the administration of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Federal Capital Territory. Jikwoyi has some fascinating sights and sounds and at the same time wear some offensive and obscure features.
Due to low cost houses in the area, affordable cost of living and its proximity to the city center, the population of the town is growing exponentially. New residential areas and estates are spreading. The town is populated by civil servants, especially those at the lower cadre, private sector employees, as well as artisans.
Like most modern cities or settlement, Jikwoyi is divided into phases, namely Jikwoyi Phase 1, Jikwoyi Phase 2, Jikwoyi Phase 3, and Phase1 Extension respectively.
Nonetheless, aside from the fact that Jikwoyi is home to low income earners, the town also hosts many businesses such as ‘Block industries, fashion houses, bread factories, eateries among other micro and small businesses.
Residents of surrounding towns such as Karu,Karshi, Orozo, Gidan-Mangoro etc, troop in and out of the settlement to transact their businesses on a daily basis.
However, these business activities do not come without attendant challenges, giving the constant rise in population of the suburb which can best be described as an over populated market square gasping for more space to accommodate its wares.
As a result of this congestion, one of the major challenges facing Jikwoyi is the traffic gridlock caused by poor road networks within and outside the town.
The most congested routes are the one that connect Jikwoyi to Karu and its environs such as Abuja-keffi, Karshi, Kurudu to Jikwoyi Phase1, however, this gridlock is often occasioned by activities of roadside traders.
Analysts have attributed the rising population in the FCT to the growing population of the country which some put at 196 million, rural urban migration and quest for white collar jobs.
However, the interaction of these millions of people with their environment has left indelible mark on the landscape.
According to environmental experts, “Urbanization, deforestation, desertification, over population and all kinds of pollution are some of the resultant effects of man’s interaction with his environment”.
These changes according to them “Occur as the people attempt to acquire their seemingly endless desire for food, shelter, recreation, and infrastructural facilities”.
They added that though these wants and desires contribute to the development of the country, but the unwise use of the land and its resources produces negative impacts on the environment.
They lamented in strong terms the growing filthiness of the environment and its health implication on residents.
Recall that Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, was established to control the Nigerian Environment, its resources, exploitation and management. But field observation revealed that environmental degradation is growing at a rate worse than the pre AEPB period, some residents observed.
Solution to these problems residents said require going beyond the strategies and objectives of AEPB. Environmental protection techniques should be indigenized, they further posited.
The commercial activities within, coupled with complete disregard for the environment in most of these satellite town leaves the town dirty most of the time.
As a matter of fact, heaps of refuse is an eyesore as well as expose the people to all kinds of danger.
While some residents blame the FCT administration for lack of or inadequate provision for refuse collection and disposal, others are of the opinion that the people of the area need to care more about their environment and shun indiscriminate refuse dumping, especially by the road side.
Some others observe that inadequate sanitation is the major cause of disease world-wide and improving sanitation is known to have a significant beneficial impact on health in households and across communities.
But aside from the filthy nature of jikwoyi, the drainages in the area are filled up with refuse due to the indiscriminate dumping of refuse thereby obstructing free flow of water it time it rains.
To this end, the drainages are bound to become death traps. In the past evacuating dirts from the drainages was done on regular basis, but now the authority seldom care about it.
Spreaking on this subject matter, a resident of the area who simply identified himself as Mr. John said; “AMAC only comes around whenever they are in need of tax and don’t care whether the residents are suffering.’’
On his part, Chika Ekwueme said, “Jikwoyi is a very busy place occupied by people, schools, churches, businesses and so on. If you enter God of Elijah Road, you will see that there are good schools owned by prominent Nigerians, the owners of these schools and churches are supposed to come together, contribute and repair these roads. Instead, what they do is to buy empty bags of cement fill them with sand and place them on the part where there are port holes. Whenever you stop a commercial motorcyclist and mention God of Elijah road they will make you pay double the amount you were supposed to pay.”
Supporting the foregoing lamentations, Chidinma said that “Last year December, all the resident of Lean of Me contributed money, twenty thousand naira (N20,000) per house to repair Learn of Me road. For how long are we going to continue like this, sometimes, we stay without light and at the end of every month Abuja Electricity Distribution Company, AEDC, shows up with their ‘crazy’ bill of what we did not utilize?”
Worried by this ugly situation of refuse dumps littering the major street of Jikwoyi, the traditional ruler in the area was said to have directed AMAC to, as a matter of urgency, intervene to rid the street of refuse, especially within the major roads that leads to CBN junction.
On 14th February 2018, the area was thrown into panic as two houses got burnt. A scenario eye witness said did not claim the lives of occupants, but properties were lost. The poor electrical connection in the area they said sparked the fire outbreak.
Sharing their perspectives on the anomalies in the area, some road side posits that they are not happy with the facts that there are refuse dumps close to their shops, as such is capable of affecting their wellbeing adversely.
One of them, Mrs. Naomi said “I am not happy with the persisting erosion, once it’s raining, those selling around phase2 junction will pure their refuse in the drainage and that contributes to the blockage which give rise to this incessant erosion any time there is a heavy down pour”.
She also said AMAC has assigned some women to sweep the roads as well as men to cut the grasses, adding “So I am of the opinion that government should please look into the challenges in Jikwoyi and address the issues of traffic and sanitation”.
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