Abuja Sweepers: The Risky Job of Cleaning FCT
Street cleaning is a very essential service, especially in an urban environment, but the rat-race by dwellers, especially motorists, is putting the lives of cleaners, who are mostly middleaged women, in perpetual danger. Speaking to Daily Trust on Sunday last week, the cleaners cried out, saying there is the need to call the motorists to order.
Street cleaners in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, mostly women, sweep and collate the refuse in black polythene bags and place same in strategic positions for onward delivery to dumpsites, usually amidst the danger of being hit by reckless motorists. They are also saddled with the task of evacuating empty water cans and other containers thrown out of moving vehicle windows, thereby littering and making the environment unhygienic.
Speaking to our reporter, Gimbiya Adamu, who can be referred to as a master-cleaner, having spent seven years on the job, said, “I have been posted to clean the roads of some parts of Abuja like Mabushi, Utako and Jabi. My supervisor usually calls and transfers me from one area to another whenever one of the cleaners is absent due to ill-health, death of a loved one, accident etc. The job is very risky.
“One day, while we were sweeping, an elderly woman was hit by a motorist on high speed. We assisted her and the motorist took her to a chemist shop and paid the medical bill.
“I am appealing to motorists to kindly stop over-speeding and drive with care to avoid hitting us and other pedestrians.”
Another cleaner, Blessing Joshua, also said, “I was employed by the Abuja Environmental Protection Agency (AEPB) two and a half years ago. I have been working from seven in the morning to four in the evening. The main concern in this very risky job is our safety because Abuja motorists are always in a hurry to reach their destinations, especially in the morning. They are also furious and always blaring their horns almost uncontrollably. You need to experience what happens from Jabi-Masallaci to Jabi Primary School, otherwise known as Airport Junction, when their daily routines start in the morning.
“I am lucky that I have not been hit by a vehicle, but I do my work with utmost caution to be on the safer side. However, last week, I jumped on the pavement to avoid being hit by a motorist on high speed near Jabi Primary School. Motorists should please drive with care and stop putting our lives in danger.”
Also, Rosaline Sunday, who sweeps one of the streets in Jabi said, “This is my second month on the job as a cleaner. My supervisor introduced me to these ladies and we started working on our portion. They know I can sweep my environment, but I have never swept a road with speedy vehicles. They told me that their motto is: Be careful always.”
Some motorists who spoke to Daily Trust on Sunday agreed that there’s the need to call motorists in Abuja to order, saying the lives of the cleaners are always in danger.