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· Shutdown sewage plant over indebtedness to diesel supplier
· Dumps faecal matter in river
· Workers owed for several months
By Godfrey AKON
After nearly six months of exposure to stench and toxic waste from the Abuja Sewage Treatment Plant, Idu, relief may have finally come for residents of Zidu Village in Idu District of the FCT, following the recent resumption of operations at the plant.
The sewage treatment plant which runs 24 hours on generators, reportedly shut down operation between January and June 2023, over the non-payment of contract for diesel supplied.
Though the spokesperson of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board, AEPB, Mrs Janet Audu, vehemently denied the claims, The Abuja Inquirer gathered that the supplier, one Alhaji Ibrahim, had in January this year stopped the supply of diesel to the plant, as the FCT Administration through the AEPB, was allegedly indebted to his company to the tune of N10 billion for supplies made throughout 2022.
This action grounded activities at the plant making the plant manager resort to dumping of untreated waste into Zidu stream.
Zidu River, from which the community derived its name from, has been the major source of water supply to the villagers.
However, for several months, residents of the village say they had to seek alternative from neighbouring communities, while using the contaminated water from the river only for washing and house chores.
Some of the residents, who spoke to our correspondent, say the resumption of work at the treatment plant was a huge relief for them, as they can now go back to drinking water from the stream.
A resident, Msehelia Dauda, whose wife and children had fallen sick during the 6 months “ordeal” ascribed their recovery to God’s mercies.
“It was God that saved me that period because alot of us here didn’t know that they were channelling untreated water into Zidu River. We kept using it for cooking and even drinking until two of my children started stooling and vomiting and the next day their mother too started stooling, that was when we were told it was cholera due to contamination of the river.
“It was unfair of the government to expose us to such hazards without notifying the villagers and advising us to stay off the river. What would have been my fate if I had lost any member of my family?” he asked.
Another resident of the community, Joshua Ayakpa, disclosed that despite the resumption of treatment operations at the plant, many residents are still skeptical to get water from the river.
According to him, “We now have trust issues with the FCTA because they didn’t bother to tell us they were pouring waste into our river so how are we sure they have really stopped? We are still afraid of the water being polluted. For now we are not using the water, because of the rains but after the rains, I don’t know how many people can still use water from the river”.
Sources within the FCTA, who confirmed the six months inactivity at the Wupa Sewage Treatment Plant, also disclosed that the Mantrac CAT generator which powers the complex has not been serviced in the past six months as the servicing company was still being owed.
The source, however, added that shadow operations were carried out whenever the management expects delegation from global bodies like the World Health Organisation.
One of the workers, who did not want to be mentioned because he has not clearance to do so, said, “Yes we had issues with diesel supply since January, but we have resumed full operation at the plant since last week (June ending). We also power the plant when we expect monitors from WHO so that they will not understand that there is shutdown.
“But since Monday morning the plant has been working. In fact, we just took delivery of one truck load of diesel so I believe we are good.”
Our correspondent gathered that during the six months shutdown, untreated waste was also being discharged around the popular “Coca-Cola” Junction along the Airport Road.
Further investigations by The Abuja Inquirer suggested that the plant has no proper perimeter fence, as most of it that have long been vandalized by scavengers without them being replaced, thereby exposing essential equipment in the plant to further vandalism.
Also, despite the N45million said to be allocated to the treatment plant every quarter, managers and plant operators are still being owed their hazard allowance for over seven months, running into millions of naira.
An insider, who gave a breakdown, said operators are entitled to between N25, 000 and N90,000 as monthly hazard allowance depending on their levels. However, none of the over 100 workers at the treatment plant have received such allowance throughout 2023 despite the health hazards they face on the job.
The Abuja Sewage Treatment Plant, Wupa, said to be one of the biggest in the world, was constructed in 2007 to treat sewage generated from Phase I, II and III of the Metropolitan City.
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