At the inception of Captain Idris Wada-led administration in Kogi State, the whole and particularly, Lokoja, the state capital could easily win the award of the dirtiest state capital in Nigeria. The state capital was then sitting on a mass of filthy heap. Many residential buildings have no toilets and so, any available bush was a potential toilet.
The state of the filthiness of the ancient town didn’t really mean much to most people until the last flood that swept through the town. It was as if the flood deliberately went under the earth to exhume the heap of rubbish buried under the earth. Indeed, that flood exposed the filthy state of Lokoja.
From the onset, the new administration made it clear that things cannot continue the way they are. The dirty nature of the state, posed great risk to the health of the people of the state. Apart from this, the government wants to attract investments to the state and it believes no sane investor would be keen on investing in a state that has no respect for something as ordinary but yet so, important as hygiene.
Just as the government was being ushered in, the governor mandated his Deputy, Architect Yomi Awoniyi to ensure the immediate clean-up of the state. Both men having vastly traversed the length and breadth of the world know exactly what they want.
First, orderly way of doing things has to be maintained. Hitherto, every available space in Lokoja is a trading centre. This was clearly unacceptable to the new government and therefore, something has to be done. But in sending the people away from the trading places, the government had to, first, designate areas for trading.
The government evacuated street trades located at the Post Office; a major highway and other major areas in Lokoja. They were moved to designated spots at Paparanda Square and the International Market. For the government, it was something that was needful in spite of the backlash such action could have on the government; an elected one for that matter. It is not entirely about keeping the state capital clean, it also has to do with getting the people of the state out of highways. In the past, we have had cases of vehicles crushing traders on the highway.
The government working through the necessary agencies, embarked on critical waste collection and disposal in order to keep the state clean. The idea is to ensure that a new culture of hygiene is inculcated in the people.
The relevant agencies of government saddled with sanitation were tasked to keep the state and especially the state capital clean. They therefore, engaged in cleaning of the streets, setback, and clearing of drainages in both public and private areas.
Determined to ensure the neatness of the state, the state government knowing how enormous this could be, resolved to introduce a Public- Private- Partnership arrangement. In this case, the government facilitated the involvement of corporate bodies in waste collection and disposal first, as a way of corporate social responsibility.
For instance, Zenith Bank procured and donated 4 trolleys, and 270 domestic plastic dustbins to the state. UBA followed suit by donating 200 plastic dustbins. The items were majorly distributed to shop owners and regulated premises for the collection of waste. This has largely enabled a more co-ordinated way of waste disposal. The government also invited interested waste contractors for pre-qualification expression.
Time was, the state had dead bodies decomposing on major streets without any action taken. In the last one year, the story has changed. This past one year, over 60 unclaimed or unidentified corpses were buried by the state sanitation and waste management board. The government bore all the burial expenses.
The state government through its relevant organ, embarked on sanitation mop exercises between 18 and 21 December, 2012. This was to give the state the needed face-lift ahead of the Christmas and New Year festivities. The areas covered are; Kpata-old market-Nataco route, Nataco-Polytechnic- Crusher route, Crusher-House of Assembly- Secretariat junction route, and Ganaja-Gadumo route.
The state government got a pail loader, bulldozer, low loader and tippers for the exercise. There is doubt that the exercise was hugely successful and it sent a message across to those visiting home or passing through the state that there is a new thinking in the state in respect to hygiene.
The state government in this past one year has been able to check incidences of indiscriminate waste disposal. In order to effectively do this; over 500 pieces of Iron containers were procured. This would soon be distributed to designated areas of the state capital.
The state government was able in 2012 to finally designate dump site along Felele within the metropolis of the state capital. This is a remarkable feat because in the over 21 years existence of the state there has not been anything like that. However, the site is to be fully developed for the purpose.
A salient achievement also made in the last one year is the recruitment and eventual engagement of 100 Ad-hoc workers to complement the work being done by the sanitation in order to keep the state clean all-year-out.
During the flood that ravaged the state last year, the state government sensing the danger such incident could pose to the health of the citizenry, mandated its agencies to ensure the cleanliness of the state especially areas affected. The relevant agencies kept the various refugees camps clean.
Today, the state is wearing a new look and the government seems determined to go the whole haul. Gradually, the people are keying into this new vision seeing that they no longer spend unnecessarily to treat sickness that derive their source for dirty habits.
Revolution comes as an inevitable; it is something that requires vision which is pursued with determination. Had the government kept silent, the rigmarole will continue. It’s a good starting point. Health, it is said, is wealth. A new vista is being opened for the state.
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