By Fortune Eloagu and Nguamo Aka
As each day breaks in various parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), a group of young men wake people up with either shouts of “Bola” or bashing on their metal carts to alert every resident to their presence.
They come to pick refuse from homes and offices for a fee. Ironically, among the rubbish they pick from houses and for which they get paid, are items that someone else is ever willing and ready to buy. Thus, those unwanted items which many regard as wastes and garbage are the chief means of livelihood and wealth for this group of youths in the nation’s capital.
They are popularly called Mai Bola and their brand of waste management is mainly for the monetary gains and not for the love of a cleaner environment.
A tacit proof of the organised nature of their operations is the presence of dumps for the valuable items scavenged from the heaps of refuse collected from houses.
Abuja Metro visited the scavengers’ main dumpsite at Jahi which is generally regarded as their central area with at least 1,000 workers. On site there are, however, other smaller sites at Kado-Kuchi, Pape, Jabi, Gishiri, Utako and Kubwa as well as other settlements in the FCT.
A modern touch to their operations is the establishment of small recycling plants at the sites. This makes for easier transportation of the items, especially the plastics.
Speaking with Abuja Metro, the Secretary of the Jahi scavengers site, Mohammed Inuwa Ismail, explained the mode of operations at the site. His words: “Our boys normally get the materials from dustbins. They drive their trucks round the city and pick things. Some get iron, some get plastics, some get copper, while others concentrate on aluminum.
“Our dealers come here and pick the ones they want. If they want the rubber, we will grind it for them. We do not deliver it every day. It depends on the production and the quantity. They are delivered to Lagos and the North-East. The material is the primary thing.
“The machines we have cannot be powered with a small generator, so we need constant light to do our work well. Frequent light helps us produce more and recycle them. We have almost 1,000 people working here.”
How to join the trade
Inuwa said that older members of the group hold meetings every Thursday and Friday to screen and enlighten the apprentices and make sure they operate by existing rules. “It is a standing rule that before anyone is accepted here, he must be thoroughly examined. They must also be registered with N1,000. He will be given an identification card”, he said.
Handling of collected items
Inuwa said they usually grind most of the materials they collect, weigh and package them for sale. He stated that because every business has its ups and downs, the price of each item is determined by their availability, adding that each item attracts more money when it is scarce.
Also, the chairman of Jahi dumpsite, Salisu Rabiu, told Abuja Metro that three major machines are used in the business. They are the presser which compresses materials, the scale which weighs the materials packaged and the crushing machine, which grinds and separates them.
Job challenges
The chairman said though they try to be useful to the society through their services, it has not been easy because of harassments by environmental authority officials that occasionally raid the sites and destroy or burn their wares. Decrying the actions of these officials, he said: “We are Nigerians and we have our rights too. Everyone is working hard to survive and someone comes here suddenly and burns the products of people’s hard work. How do they want us to survive? We invest so much and one day, someone comes in and burns the materials. It is quite discouraging and frustrating. This can make people like us leave Abuja or even go into crime. If there is a problem, they should come and talk to us, not destroy things we suffered to assemble,” he said.
Appeal to government for land
He said they need land from the government, where they can freely carry out their business unmolested. “We are also seeking for land. We are occupying someone else’s land and he has come around to tell us the property will be sold. The government should at least, help us out. Even if the site is a temporary place, at least, we will know that it belongs to us. We depend on this business to cater for our families. So, we really need government’s help”, he said.
The Vice Chairman, Abdulsamad Masokano, who spoke mainly on health issues said: “It is only God that protects us. Most injuries occur when workers are trying to load the materials in the trucks. For example, an iron may cut their hands in the process. Also, we source our food from nearby local restaurants at times. We really do not have a choice, except to warm and eat whatever is available. Still on the hazards we face, most of the people live in the makeshift houses here. It is not quite healthy, we are surviving.” he said.
Scavengers speak
Some of the scavengers who bring in the items told Abuja Metro that gains from the business are worth the efforts.
One of them, a woman, who did not want her name in print, said: “For two years, I have been in the business. I pick plates and spoons and other household items, wash and resell them. It is the return from the business that I use in taking care of my children, including funding their education. My daughters attend Garki Government Secondary School here in Abuja.” She stated that sometimes, her children assist her in selling the items.
Also another scavenger, Ahmed Ibrahim, in his early 20s, said he joined the trade because of the harsh economic situation in the country and his lack of formal education: “I cannot approach any office for a job, so I resorted to this job, to help myself instead of becoming a nuisance to the society.”
His colleague, Ibe Chukwuma, from Enugu State, said he went into the seemingly dirty but rewarding business due to the nation’s poor economy. “It is the situation of the country that made me go into this. As an average man, I need to fend for myself; so, I decided to come down here and join others in gathering refuse and selling the discarded items from people’s homes”, he added.