Photo of the spot where the heap of waste was evacuated.
Abasifreke Effiong – Uyo
Four months after a shaming report by The Dune newspaper exposing how Ibesikpo Asutan local government council, Akwa Ibom state, has collected over N9 million in two years as market sanitation levy from traders but failed to evacuate wastes from the market, the Ibesikpo Asutan local government council has evacuated a rotten heap of wastes at the Nung Udoe market.
The Dune in a special report in March raised alarm that traders at the Nung Udoe market were at the risk of an epidemic due to a decomposing heap of refuse at the market.
The heap of refuse which had covered quite a portion of the market was last evacuated in March 2019 to create a space for the governorship campaign rally of Governor Udom Emmanuel which was held in the market. The wastes were evacuated ahead of the rally by the governor’s campaign coordinators in Ibesikpo Asutan, and not the local government council which collects revenue and sanitation levy at the market.
READ PREVIOUS REPORT ON NUNG UDOE MARKET: Traders groan under corrupt, exploitive revenue regime at Nung Udoe, Akwa Ibom market
The report which was supported by Policy Alert, a non – governmental organisation working on economic governance and social justice, exposed a corrupt and exploitative revenue regime at the Nung Udoe market.
The report revealed that despite forcing more than 3000 traders at the Nung Udoe market to pay N100 every week for sanitation, the Ibesikpo Asutan local government council, failed to evacuate wastes at the market, leaving traders at the risk of an epidemic.
The report further revealed that the council through the sanitation committee has raised more than N9 million in two years from sanitation levy. A chunk of the levy which should be used to evacuate wastes in the market is usually shared to supporters of the local government chairman, Mr Sylvester George, according to sources in the market sanitation committee.
The Sylvester George’s administration has fared badly in environmental sanitation and public health in the last two years plus.
Mr. Sylvester George, Chairman, Ibesikpo Asutan local government area.
The Dune observed two weeks ago that the heap of refuse at the Nung Udoe market had been evacuated following media – shaming of the chairman, after The Dune exposed the rot in the market.
A section of the portion where the heap of wastes was evacuated have already been sold out to traders by the market management committee and new wooden kiosks have been erected by the owners.
Traders at the market have said the council evacuated the wastes because the local government chairman, Mr Sylvester George, is seeking a second term and fears that the non – evacuation of the wastes at the market may be used as a campaign point against him.
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A trader at the market, Mr Emmanuel Bassey, expressed gratitude to The Dune for exposing the exploitation of traders by agents of the council and the health risks the continued non – evacuation of the wastes in the market posed to traders and businesses in the market.
Bassey thanked the council for finally hearkening to outcry on the need to evacuate the wastes. However, he regretted that the poor handling of wastes in the market has given the council and prominent people in the local government area a bad name.
“It is Okay that they have finally evacuated the wastes after two years. But I am not happy because the poor handling of wastes in the market has given leadership of this community, the council and prominent people here a bad name. For instance, I went to another market outside our local government, so there was an issue I felt I should make a contribution. When I wanted to say something, I was asked ‘where are you from?’. I was shouted down at and was told there were no responsible people from here else we will not be selling food on top of decomposing heap of wastes in our market. That was an ugly experience”, Bassey narrated.
Though the council has evacuated the previous heap of wastes at the market, traders have already started dumping refuse at the spot again.
A permanent solution would be for the council to acquire receptacles for the market and make appropriate plan with the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Wastes Management Agency, AKSEPWMA, to evacuate the wastes on weekly basis.
The Nung Udoe market in Ibesikpo Asutan is within the Uyo Capital Development Authority like the Etaha Itam market in Itu and the Akpan Andem market in Uyo. However, the area in Ibesikpo Asutan which is within the capital city has received less attention from the State wastes management agency.
The Dune observed that despite exponential growth in population and businesses around Nung Oku and Obot Idim bus stop, covering a stretch of two kilometres, there are only two wastes disposal points, one by Boecler Memorial Nursery and Primary School, Nung Oku and the other one is by Jack Dan filling station near Parosa Motel. There is no dumpster or wastes disposal point from Obot Idim to Nung Udoe, the headquarters of Ibesikpo Asutan local government area.
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Some traders at the Nung Udoe market have said that much of the wastes dumped at the market are household wastes.
Again, Emmanuel Bassey, a trader at Nung Udoe market, said he was once attacked by a ‘big man’ whom he confronted for driving wastes from his house to dump it in the market.
Chairman of Traders Association in Ibesikpo Asutan, Hon Jude Edet, corroborated that people have been bringing wastes from the community to dump in the market.
Hon. Jude Edet, chairman, traders association, Ibesikpo Asutan local government area.
“People have been bringing wastes from their houses and dumped them in the market. There is no waste disposal point in the entire Nung Udoe except where we dump wastes in the market.”
He regretted that AKSEPWMA has not provided receptacles nor paid attention to wastes management in Nung Udoe market as it does at Akpan Andem and Etaha Itam markets.
Edet called on AKSEPWMA to create more wastes collection points along the Aka – Nung Udoe road and should begin to collaborate with the council to properly manage wastes at the Nung Udoe market, which he insisted is within the coverage area of the wastes management agency.
