FCT faces challenges with indiscriminate refuse dumping, prompting calls for action.
By Eunice Orike
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Nyesom Wike, has announced that the administration will soon award contracts to credible waste management firms to tackle the persistent problem of indiscriminate refuse dumping across key parts of Abuja.
Speaking during an inspection of ongoing cleanup activities along major routes, including the Airport Road and the Nyanya–Karshi axis, Wike acknowledged that refuse accumulation has become a major environmental concern for residents.
He explained that the current challenge stemmed from the expiration of previous waste disposal contracts, which left the city without an official framework for managing refuse.
“It’s been a major problem, but we are already removing all the refuse that has been dumped. In the next two weeks, the contract for refuse disposal will be formally awarded,” Wike said.
The minister emphasised that the administration would no longer engage what he described as political contractors who lacked the capacity to deliver quality services.
“Most of them don’t have the equipment or experience. We are doing everything to ensure that only competent contractors are engaged,” he stated.
Wike appealed for patience from residents, assuring them that the FCTA was not happy with the current situation and was working to restore cleanliness and order across the city and satellite towns.
When asked about the deplorable state of roads in the Federal Housing area, Wike said the administration was aware of the situation but urged residents to continue fasting, hinting that road rehabilitation in that area would come in due time.
Responding to a question about security concerns in the nation’s capital, Wike, emphasised that there is improved security in the FCT compared to what obtained in the past, stressing that isolated incidents of insecurity do not define the city’s overall safety.
“If there is one safe city in this country, I think Abuja is that city,” the Minister stated, noting that the “Light Up Abuja” program, which involves installing solar streetlights across districts and expressways, is also a strategic initiative to further enhance security.
“The problem we have here is that when one incident happens, we forget that three months ago, nothing happened. You should give us and the security agencies credit that we are doing quite a lot to make Abuja safe, and Abuja has been safe.
“We do agree that something may happen but that does not mean that Abuja is not safe…I don’t want us to take that to mean that the city is not safe. If there is one safe city in this country, I think Abuja is that city”, Wike added.
