TOWARDS ACHIEVING A CLEANER ENVIRONMENT IN ANAMBRA STATE.
We live in a country with threatening trash problem, a situation that has negatively affected our image and subjected millions to death-prone environmental hazards. Unfortunately, litter-issues have not really gotten the attention it deserves as many states of the federation have continued to face a tremendous solid waste proliferation, uncontrollable littering in public places and the build up of illegal waste dumps by the day; caused by lack of an effective and efficient waste management plan and strategies, weak private sector participation and public private partnerships, inadequate modern solid waste handling and evacuation equipments, fewer dumpsites, Irregular collection or non-collection, transportation in open vehicles, environmentally unsafe methods of processing & disposal of waste, lack of sufficient emphasis on reduction and segregation at source, insufficient allocation of funds for processing and disposal, poor accountability owing to weak regulatory frameworks, inexperienced and poorly motivated personnel, lack of public awareness about the need for waste segregation, untrained or inadequately trained work force, lack of commitment, poor financial health, outdated operational techniques, poor monitoring of waste managers and scavengers and street sweepers, lack of litter-law enforcement, unavailability of wastebaskets and motorized bins in public places, ignorance, laziness, rebelliousness, forgetfulness, trash attracting more trash. These are some of the factors that have rendered solid waste management ineffective, inadequate and inefficient.
Anambra state is a densely populated commercial hub where great amount of industrial trash, scrap metals, out-door litter, medical and solid waste defaced the environment until the recent intervention of the state government. The state is currently cleaner than it used to be but the state government and authorities need to do more; there is need for the creation of a long term functional strategy to manage, recycle, evacuate and maintain a viable integrated solid waste management efficiency in order to achieve and sustain a commendable clean environment status. There is also need to take up recycling as an integral part of waste (and resource) management systems, and invest in both physical infrastructures and communication strategies to improve processing and disposal capabilities. This has proven to be an efficient alternative to expensive landfills, incineration and other treatment and disposal options in developed countries. The responsibility of waste management should be saddled on people who have proven results in waste management not business men who lack vision and passion to rescue the environment from its deplorable state, staff of waste management authorities in the state should be trained and conformed to modern waste management practices, techniques and ethics. Furthermore, because education is a major component in litter prevention and solid waste reduction; behavioural sensitization and public enlightenment is the key to enhancing and achieving individual responsibility for a cleaner environment. Creating awareness about the importance of proper waste management is an area that has not received adequate attention. The principle of 3R’s – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle is rarely practiced at the individual household or commercial establishment level. Citizens are not aware of the merits of waste segregation and scientific disposal of wastes, this has always posed a big challenge in landfills as time, money and energy is invested on material separation.
The primary cause of littering in Nigeria is ignorance. Millions are unaware that a majority of sicknesses, infections, accidents and most deaths are traceable to the state of the environment where they live. They need to know that waste in the wrong place is a major health hazard that undermines their right to a safe life and wellbeing. The establishment of clean up exercises and street sweeping have not really done much as it only works to remove trash but do not prevent recurrence. People are willing to drop more trash as soon as the previous is evacuated due to lack of adequate sensitization. In most cases, majority are unwilling and lazy to walk up and use the closest dustbin, they'll prefer to drop it on the ground so it won't get in the way of whatever thing they are doing. They need to know that trash in the wrong place can endanger their health, safety and welfare and a compelling environmental education will do the miracle.
Anambrarians too also have a huge role to play; no government can achieve a clean environment unless the governed are more responsible with their trash, so the subject of a clean environment should not be left for the government alone. Indiscriminate refuse disposal can expose us and the beautiful people we share the environment with to health hazards. That is not all, filth and garbage on streets facilitate spread of diseases like malaria, plague; making a significant dent on a country’s prospects of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Some people in an act of laziness wait till dusk to show their rebelliousness, they drop their poorly secured refuse in unauthorised spots and before dawn the trash multiplies. Some other awful behaviours abound: people tossing trash out of a moving vehicle not minding if it will endanger other road users and pedestrians, people eating and living their trash behind creating refuse dumps around other people's homes, people dropping their trash on the ground oblivious that others might step on it and slip.
Most people do not consider recharge card papers and pure water sachets as litter but these pieces of rubbish are often the most littered items on our roads and streets. So litter does not have to be large heap of refuse before they become litter, as little as they may seem, they get accumulated in the environment over time to pose a threat to our very own existence.
Now that the current government is working hard to ensure a cleaner environment stripped bare of mess and hazards, let’s support the vision by being more responsible with our household refuse and out-door trash, pay sanitation levies on time to ensure prompt waste evacuation, maintain waste bins in homes and business places, teach our children clean and sustainable environmental practices, reduce waste by reusing plastic and paper bags, engage in environmental sanitation, always use a wastebasket when outdoor or take it home for proper disposal and encourage others to follow our example.
Lastly, i want to commend the brains behind Anambra Amaka, a clean environment campaign and urge them to continue in their compelling anti-litter education and behavioural sensitization, the vision is laudable and achievable.


Ezebube Obinwa
Awka. ezebubeobinwa@gmail.com