Posted by By Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa on
Driving into Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, a first time visitor would readily notice the gradual evolution into a mega city. The old and dilapidated buildings that dot the landscape are giving way to beautifully designed buildings.
•Waste takes over Bayelsa State capital
Driving into Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, a first time visitor would readily notice the gradual evolution into a mega city. The old and dilapidated buildings that dot the landscape are giving way to beautifully designed buildings.
However, beyond the gradual transformation of the city is the stench that oozes from the many refuse sites that litter the street and roads of Yenagoa.
From Opolo to Okutukutu to Kpansia, to Yenezue-gene to Ekeki to Amarata to Onopa to Ovow, refuse stand as colosuses. In most cases, they take over the road, causing traffic jam.
Indeed, some of the mountain of refuse have been in the street for more than a month, with the attendant threat of an outbreak of epidemic.
Mr Preye Ebibode, who lives in Yenezue-Gene bares his mind on the mountain of refuse in his area.
Said he: "This is disgracing and unacceptable. How old is Bayelsa State and how many people live here that the refuse situation could not be managed? Before, it was not like this, but it has really gone bad. That refuse you see there has been there for the past one month. Things are so bad that whenever people get near the refuse, they run so as not to breathe the stench."
Tarilah Benibo agrees with Ebibode and places the blame squarely on the state's environmental authorities.
"This refuse issue is very serious because most people are worried that a growing city could be dirty. I would want to hold the environmental authority responsible because they leave the refuse for long before they would clear it. NDDC provided vehicles to clear these refuse, but the people concerned are not making good use of it," he said.
Mrs. Elizabeth urged the state government to take action against those whose responsibility it is to clear the refuse as they are giving the government a bad name. To her, it is unacceptable for people to be given responsibilities and they leave them undone and nothing happens to them.
"Imagine, refuse is what welcomes a visitor to the state. It is shameful that those concerned should allow the situation to degenerate to this level. It is bad," she said
Daily Sun gathered that the state government recently announced the immediate redeployment of the chairman of the Environmental Authority, Mr. John Appiah. A statement signed by the Secretary to the State government, Dr. Mrs. Bolere Ketebu Nwokaefor, to this effect did not give any reason for Appiah's replacement with Mr. Reginald Dede.
Sources at the environmental authority said Appiah's removal might be connected with the lackluster performance of the contractors given the responsibility of clearing the refuse.
Dede, on assumption of office, suspended all the contracts giving out to clear the refuse.
He subsequently directed the public not to have any dealings with the contractors until further notice.
His decision, according to sources, was premised on the non-clearing of the refuse even after the contractors had collected their money.