Some residents of Gwagwalada Area Council, FCT, say hike in collection prices by local waste collectors, popularly known as baban bolas, has forced them to adopt alternative means of disposing their wastes.
The residents, who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, said because of hardship in the country they had no option than to be more creative in their waste disposal efforts.
They, however, acknowledged that their wasted disposal options may have negative implications for their health.
According to them, they are left with no other option than to do things their own way, including dumping refuse indiscriminately instead of paying high amount to the waste collectors.
Mrs Eunice Nwafor, a resident of Phase 3, said that she has resorted to burning her waste instead of patronising the baban bola.
She said that the size of waste she usually disposed with between N200 to N300 was costs N600 to N700.
“These baban bolas are now becoming very expensive and I cannot continue to patronise them.
“I have resorted to burning my waste instead of paying so high on weekly basis to dispose them. It might not be the best on the environment and my health but I have no other choice,” she said.
Ms Hannatu Isiaka, a resident of Old Kutunku, said that she disposes her waste herself, adding that she does not need the services of the baban bola.
“I used to gather my waste and throw it on any dumpsite I see around me or most times when it is raining I will pour the waste inside the gutter in front of my house and the rain will carry it away.
”Although my way of waste disposal is not good to the environment, I have no choice but to dispose mine the way that I am doing,” she told NAN.
Isiaka urged the government to provide waste collection bins at designated places where residents could dump their waste for proper evacuation.
Mrs Olabisi Adegbenga, a resident of Compensation Layout, said the absence of officially designated waste collectors in Gwagwalada has increased the demand for the services of baban bolas.
This, she said, made them to increase the prices of waste collection.
She said the prices of these services have continued to increase overtime, adding that initially to empty a large bucket of dirt which was between N150 to N250 now costs as high as N400 to N500.
She said to empty a small dustbin basket which previously was between N50 to N70 is presently as high as N150 to N200.
“Since there is no government waste evacuation vehicle, we have to make do with what is available.
”Although it is not the best choice because of the mode of disposing these waste and its effect on sanitation,” she said.
Mr Usman Adamu, a local waste collector said the continuous increase in the prices of foodstuffs and current hardship in the country has forced him to increase the cost of his services.
Adamu said the services he renders to residents is his only means of livelihood, adding that he would continue to increase his prices as prices of other things continue to soar.
“Some of my customers no longer patronise me; some of them now dispose their waste by themselves while others burn their waste.
” I will reduce my prices when cost of foodstuffs reduces in the market,” he said.
