By Wole Mosadomi

Minna—Residents of Minna, the Niger State capital have raised the alarm of possible outbreak of epidemic following the dumping  of refuse  at major cities  markets, drainages, and other available spaces.

Investigations revealed that Niger State Environmental Protection Agency, NISEPA, saddled with the responsibility of clearing  refuse from in the state  has been incapacitated due to lack of tools including personnel.

It was gathered that Minna has only four trucks while other cities like Suleja, Bida, Kontagora among others have less.

According to source, the inability of the state government to pay contractors hired for the collection of refuse from different points has worsened the situation as the contractors have abandoned the waste collection due to the unsettled debt.

As a result of the neglect, residents now dump refuse on roads, drainages, markets and any available space causing health hazards. 

One  of the residents who spoke expressed fear of possible outbreak of epidemic. 

“Minna which is the state capital, is the window of all other towns in the state and the worst is that the heaps of refuse are found in all major roads easily seen by  visitors to the state or those transiting.

“If Minna, the state capital looks like this, one can imagine how other smaller towns will look like. We have made several reports to the appropriate quarters but without any corresponding steps taken and the situation is getting worst,” Malam Abubakar who is a trader at the Abdulkadir Kure Ultramodern Market declared.

Efforts to get the General Manager of the Niger State Environmental Protection Agency, NISEPA, Habib Abdulkadir proved abortive.