By Caleb Jacob
Indiscriminate refuse disposal has taken over the entrance of the popular Sabon Gari market in Kano despite a total of 1,579 suspected cholera cases and 54 deaths in Nigeria, mostly caused by poor sanitation.
The market is located along France Road in Kano State.
As of Thursday, the amount of refuse had almost consumed the two lanes of the dualized road, causing gridlock along France Road by Market in the Fagge Local Government Area.
On June 23, 2024, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC), in their cholera update, disclosed that Kano had recorded 13 suspected cases.
This pollution also affected the free flow of business along the route.
Traders in the vicinity claimed the waste was conveyed from within the market by scavengers, popularly known as Mai Shara.
READ ALSO: Kano Govt. To Purchase Bucket Lifters To Ease Refuse Evacuation
Craving anonymity, some businessmen who spoke with Grassroots Parrot alleged that the market management had ordered the dirt to be evacuated from the market and dropped by the roadside.
When protesters protested, the marketers claimed they were told the waste would be evacuated immediately. However, the situation has lingered for over a week, piling up daily.
One of the drivers of a small truck, Usman Ahmed, whose business was disrupted, said, “The MD of the market made them dump the trash there, which is hindering us from finding our daily bread.”
Another truck driver added, “Honestly, this trash brought out of the market is disturbing everybody in the environment, both the people staying there and passersby.”
For Bashir Kwashe-kwashe, “This trash is depriving people of earning their daily income comfortably. And this happened as a result of the order given by the market’s MD that the trash should be brought out of the market.
“Immediately it was brought out; we knew this would happen, but we could not do anything about it, and it has gotten out of control. Now we want the governor to please interfere so that this place will be cleared.”
Grassroots Parrot also observed local food outlets, locally known as Mama Put, selling cooked meals directly adjacent to the pollution site, a concerning situation.
READ ALSO: Kano Govt Approves Millions Of Naira For Palace Renovation, Other Projects
As of the time our correspondent toured the area, local scavengers in their numbers kept dumping more waste on the dumpsite.
This reporter visited the office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Abba Kabiru Yusuf on Abubakar Rimi Market, Hon. Musbahu Abdullahi, on the allegations but met an empty seat.
We called his phone number, but his line was busy. His secretary was also contacted but did not respond or return calls put through to him.
The reporter also reached out to Mukhtar Hassan, the Director of Operations of the Refuse Management and Sanitation Board (REMASAB), on the telephone for comment on the matter.
Hassan said he was in the meeting and promised to return the call in due course.
This came barely two weeks after Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano expressed disappointment over the poor performance of the REMASAB during an unscheduled visit to the agencies.
Here are the pictures taken at the scene of the roadside refuse dump site:
