Aba Enyimba City and Her Residents: Wake-up Call
Posted by Ijeoma Uba | 10 years ago | 3,326 times
The state of Aba, the commercial capital of Abia state is no longer news. It has generated a lot of heated arguments, sometimes fights between persons who were hitherto friends.
Recently, the city and her state Governor came under public scrutiny again when an Anambra oil-magnate, Chief Arthur Eze allegedly made indicting remarks against leaders and representatives of Abia concerning the dilapidated and dirty appearance of the State. A national newspaper reported that he was so enraged he dropped the microphone on the floor after the purported speech and walked away in anger.
While, the Government gets blamed for the state and party faithfuls and sympathizers trade diatribes on which party would have done it best, a salient point is obviously overlooked. This is a point when really utilized, will help all and sundry.
The residents of Abia especially Aba seem to forget that democracy simply defined is the "Government of the people by the people for the people". The key world in this simple yet powerful definition is 'people'.
People refers to more than one person, it is collective. This simply means democracy is collective responsibility not shifting of blames to just one person.
Bearing this in mind, it is important to mirrow the attitude of an average Aba resident to sanitation. Nationally, a day is set aside monthly for sanitation. Do Aba residents observe this? How much sanitation do they do or they just grudging sit at home waiting for 10:00am to go for their daily businesses? Who then will do the cleanup?
Still on sanitation, how many Aba residents bother with proper waste disposal? Sanitation is a continuous exercise if the environment will be habitable.
Comparing Aba with the very close Owerri, the residents in Owerri are their own law enforcement agents when it comes to sanitation. There, a motorist dares not throw out anything from his window because he knows the next driver will chase and doublecross him for that singular act. This is not the case in Aba where this will result to bloodshed.
While our leaders should get their own share of the blame, the residents get the bulk. Drainages? Who blocks the drainages with waste and illegal structures? When the drainages are blocked, the streets will be flooded and the roads get spoilt while the residents suffer it physically, financially and health wise. It is not 'Government' that lives in the dirty environment inhaling the stench from the ill-disposed waste. It is not 'Government' who stays in gridlocks wasting precious productive hours neither does it have to wade through flood filled with excreta to get home.
Let Abians emulate their neighbouring states like Imo, Enugu, Rivers, Cross-River even Anambra. Let them take responsibility for once instead of apportioning blames. If every compound and street should insist on participation at the monthly sanitation exercise, insist on proper waste disposal, they will smile better and more often.
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