The negative
attitude of the government towards efforts to maintain hygienic environment has
continued to inspire citizens to advance in dirty culture and become nonchalant
towards tidiness. Shamefully, many are still seen today dropping off their
sacks of refuse across the roads, in the drains and even on the high motorways.
Some deliberately fling their bin bags in the floods whenever it is raining, to
be disposed for them, without the slightest imagination of the end voyage of
such debris.
Indeed, it
is high time governments, especially states and local, thought of proper and
effective waste management process by which the various rubbish generated by
citizens within the built-up areas are disposed, transported and perhaps
treated. There is urgent need to start thinking of how best to manage both the
household and industrial waste which would continuously inevitably be
generated, anyway.
Invariably,
there are hidden severe consequences of filthy environment resulting from
improper management of waste. Waste hazards can include toxicity and
flammability as well as chemical characteristics that can render the waste
harmful to the environment and humans if neglected or poorly managed. In most
advanced countries, waste management is paramount and is never treated with
levity because of the grave consequences of poorly managed waste which could
ruin the agricultural lands, residential areas and in some cases, public
drinking water.
No doubt,
proper waste management would ensure free environmental pollution and
degradation of the land, less destruction of the ecosystem and lack of the
diseases caused by pollution.
Notably,
there appears to be sufficient laws that ought to have guaranteed that
generated wastes are properly managed. The problem hinges on the execution and
implementation. Chapter two, item 20, under the Fundamental Objectives and
Directive Principles of State Policy of the Constitution of Nigeria states that
“the State shall protect and improve the environment
and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wildlife of the Nigeria.”
Other laws
which are present to help in the proper environmental protection include:
Federal Environmental Protection Agency Act of 1988 which deals with effluent
limitation regulation; Pollution Abatement in Industries and Facilities
Generating Wastes; National Environmental Protection Management of Solid and
Hazardous Waste; Harmful Wastes Special Criminal Provision Act of 1988; Nigeria
Local Agenda 21 Programmes, Urban and Regional Planning Act CAP N138;
Environmental Impact Assessment 1986, National Policy on Environment1989 which
was revised in 1999, Land Use Act 1978, Nigeria Criminal Code which makes it an
offence punishable with up to six months imprisonment for any person who
violates the atmosphere. The ministries of environment should rise to the
challenge.
Under the
Buhari military administration, a programme (environmental sanitation) was
initiated to keep the environment clean. To yield substantial result, the
exercise had to come up every Saturday, lasting for five hours, from seven
O’clock in the morning. Later, in order to reduce monotony and perhaps uplift
its sense of value, the duration and frequency of the exercise were reduced. So
far, citizens are yet to inculcate the required habit of cleanliness, as we
cannot walk through the streets without stumbling on loathsome sights and
despicable stench.
Government
should initiate fresh schemes that would give the people the required
orientation relevant in environmental knowledge transformation. The citizens
should be educated to know the harmful effects of wrong waste disposition and
how they contribute to harm the environment and human beings. Government should
ensure that all three tiers of government are responsible for managing waste
and ensuring that the environment is safe. Citizens should be made part of the
management of waste generated by them.
Waste
management levy could be initiated whereby every household would be required by
law to have an approved waste drum in front of their houses and only the
government approved waste managers would pick the refuse up to appropriate
disposal sites as against the current practice where truck pushers are in charge.
The use of modern technology and ideas are essential in this regard.
Apparently, government should focus more on constructing standard drainages and
good roads as that would entice citizens to pay the highest respect to the
environment by not dumping garbage indiscriminately.
Besides,
special waste management committee should be created in both the National and
State Houses of Assembly. The committee should focus on sponsoring bills that
would enhance the safety of the environment. Special mobile courts should be
created to try sanitation offenders while punishment for environmental
degradation should be reviewed with a view to making them more stringent. For
example, those leaving septic tanks gushing out or excreting on public grounds
without respect to decency. Both the landlords and tenants should be sternly
penalised for filthy frontages. A broad
review of the existing waste management laws, implementation and processes
would obviously create more jobs and help to reduce the current unemployment rate.
Above all, there should be annual award and incentive for the cleanest neighbourhood so as to encourage everyone to live up to expectation. Our dream should be a Nigeria whose environment is sparkling, where no one is permitted to litter and abuse the land, one where water in the gutters which though may remain darkened is free and distinctively free of any decomposing odour, flowing noiselessly and finding its channels without any interference; the environment where the bugs and pests would have to shift their bases from the vicinity of homes to waste dumping sites. (Guardian)
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