The General Manager of Borno Environmental Protection Agency, Alhaji Nasiru Surundi, has decried the attitude of some Maiduguri residents, who often cite “security challenges” as excuse for keeping untidy environment.

Surundi told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri on Saturday that such residents had developed nonchalant attitude to clearing of drains.

“It is frustrating that everybody is hiding under the cover of ‘insurgency’ to shy away from his or her civic duty of keeping the environment clean.

“The agency noted areas where serious flooding often occurs within the metropolis, forcing residents to flush water out of their homes, as if they live in riverine areas.”

According to him, the blockages in water-ways are mainly responsible for the flood experienced in some parts of the metropolis.

He warned that unless people changed their attitude, flooding would continue to make life unbearable during rainy season.

The manager also called for an upgrade of Maiduguri Master Plan, adding that the current one in place was drawn since 1967 when the state was created under the military regime of Gen. Yakubu Gowon.

He said that on its part, his agency had acquired over 2000 dustbins and placed same in different locations of the metropolis, to ease disposal of garbage as the population increased.

“These massive dust bins have been scattered in the 27 wards of Maiduguri town, to ensure that people begin to imbibe the culture of dumping their wastes in the right place.

“With increased incentives and remuneration for staff, we shall soon get some of them (staff) to work round the clock, to reduce the waste to a tolerable level.”

Surundi also said that BOSEPA had begun massive fumigation of premises of primary and secondary schools buildings hosting Internally Displaced Persons, as well as every nook and cranny of the state, to reduce the chances of outbreak of diseases. (NAN)

•Photo shows Gov. Shettima