The Campaign for Democracy (CD) and Human Rights, Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’Foundation (HURIDE) have called on the chairman of Onitsha South Local Government Area, Chief Emeka Orji, to draft his men to evacuate refuse that litter the streets and roads in the Local Government.
The groups in a statement issued weekend in Onitsha, the Anambra State commercial nerve centre said the refuse worsened the poor environment and “no drinking water” in the Local Government and made it an eyesore to behold.
In the statement signed by High Chief Dede Uzor A. Uzor, chairman of CD in the South East and Executive Director of (HURIDE) said the refuse constitutes a health hazard to the residents of the Local Government.
They said if the Local Government chairman does not make haste to clear the dirt, epidemics of unimaginable proportion might soon befall the people, saying the stench alone oozing out from the dirt was enough to send people packing.
The groups reminded the Local Government boss that he was the one who issued directives that the residents should clear the drainage system in front of their houses, and bag them, while they would come and evacuate them.
Unfortunately, said the rights groups, for several weeks after the residents had complied with the directive, the dirt is still littered on the streets with some of them getting back into the drainage system.
This, they said, amounts to a waste of efforts and resources of the residents in the Local Government and would further block the free flow of movement of the drainage system.
Some of the areas where the refuse was littered include Zik Ave, Mbonu Ojike, Uga Street, Uzodinma Street, Bida Street, and all nooks and crannies of Fegge Housing Estate among other places.
Said the groups: ” Onitsha South is becoming the worst and dirtiest in the State.
We call on the Local Government chairman to step up the clearing of the refuse so that they would not return back to the drainage system and block its free flow now that rainy season is around the corner”
They called on Chief Orji to return the Local Government to the era when the streets were being swept daily and constitute her own local traffic control officials like Onitsha North therefore engaging the youths in meaningfully and productively
The groups also called on the chairman to prevail on the traders of Bridgehead Market doing business along the newly reconstructed Porthacourt Road and Uga Street not to use iron rods to destroy the new road, High Chief Dede Uzor advised.
The rights groups however commended Governor Chukwuma Soludo for his efforts to resurface Anàmbra State roads which Onitsha South has tremendously benefitted.
They said like Oliver Twist, they want more of such reconstruction of key roads in Fegge like Uga Street, Bida Road, Balewa Street and others.
Editor’s Note: This photo is for illustration
