sonya4all: Well all the blame shouldnt be on the government.... Like the writer said the aba residents can be blamed partly as well as govt who collects 1200 asepa fee..With little or nothing to show for the services such money was collected...Also im somehow surprised that the op..Said he recently visited aba...And its amazing how he knows almost all the spots at aba and their names respectively.... Could it be he is an independ journalist or part of the people gov t.A orji hired to praise him in niraland.... I could be wrong....Prove it.

abysirius: For complete 1 year I stayed in Aba and I doubt if Aba is as terrible as u're painting it. Most especially all these areas that u mentioned. Fine, Aba has a drainage problem. But if u've been to a place like Onitsha then u will understnd that Aba is better. For your info, I stay @ Omenazu (corpers lodge). Umunghazi, Ariaria and even 'aiorun' permit my spellings, are our catchment areas where we (family house) do our monthly shopping. Aba to me isn't bad. Let me ask u: have u visited Ajegunle b4? Boundary, Alakoto, and all those places them. What will u say about those areas? Aba is okay joor. Abi na where all these lawless pple no dey sef? Na for Osusu town hallan very close to BTC I do inec reg as Aro1. So I know aba wella. Aba, I love Aba.

abysirius: For complete 1 year I stayed in Aba and I doubt if Aba is as terrible as u're painting it. Most especially all these areas that u mentioned. Fine, Aba has a drainage problem. But if u've been to a place like Onitsha then u will understnd that Aba is better. For your info, I stay @ Omenazu (corpers lodge). Umunghazi, Ariaria and even 'aiorun' permit my spellings, are our catchment areas where we (family house) do our monthly shopping. Aba to me isn't bad. Let me ask u: have u visited Ajegunle b4? Boundary, Alakoto, and all those places them. What will u say about those areas? Aba is okay joor. Abi na where all these lawless pple no dey sef? Na for Osusu town hallan very close to BTC I do inec reg as Aro1. So I know aba wella. Aba, I love Aba.

Waltro: Aba is a lawless savage city. Was there in 2011 and it was as if I travelled back in time to the lagos of 1991. The people of that town need to wake up and move with the times, as "backward" as Nigeria is Aba is still much far behind than other Nigerian cities. And please I'm not talking about backwardness in economic terms or activity (because I know peeps will come here and start saying that Aba has the biggest market in africa and blah blah blah), I'm talking about the society itself....the people are very uncivilized. This is me speaking, sentiments aside.

noniboy231: Dat town aba is very very lawless

anthokal: Sincerely I tink certain rubbish should not be allowed to be posted here, hw can sum1 foolishly blame de residence instead of de governments is doing nutin to help de citizens. The abia state government is not workin and should be blamed for any misconduct... It is the same residence hu were tasked #20,000 for upstairs and #8000 for bungalow... Wit useless government will do dat, pls don't post rubbish next tym....

An0nimus: It was in Aba I truly understood the term 'flashfloods'..We are the government, that is what some forget.

@OP I'm loving your writeup and will wish you get it to more eyes. Maybe a column on a national daily if possible. Pls post your findings on the other locations when done. Bless.

patrikobi: ABA: A CITY DESTROYED BY ATTITUDE OF RESIDENTS

I visited Aba recently and can only confirm that the inhabitants of that city could do better than they are doing now. I also regretted observing that the attitude of the people who live there may for a long time be at variance with any developmental ideals of the government given that there is no place in the world that people so behave. This is what I mean:

1. There is a spot at Omenazu (Faulks Road) that is bad. I also understand that the government had tried severally to fix that spot. Assuming Govt did a poor job of fixing that road, the attitude of people around there compounded their woes. The man who owns Micky’s Guest House willfully and mischievously covered the drainage very close to the bad spot.

His neighbors who trade in the evenings covered the remaining with make shift suya ovens and plastic chairs. This is not putting into consideration the conversion of the original water reservoir to the famous ‘ukwu tank’ into a drinking joint. Are the people around there not contributing heavily to the erosion of the road surface?

2. I also moved down to Osusu and was told that unless government musters sufficient political will, the road may remain in bad shape for a long time to come. Again, govt did that road not too long ago. Osusu by Faulks has been taken over by Keke mechanics. By their side is mountain heap of garbage. When I asked, I was told that the inhabitants of that area took government to court over sanitation fees and part of their ‘victory’ was to stop the payment of such fees as they agreed to collect and dispose their own refuse.

Two years after their ‘victory’, their environment is badly degraded, while they take turn to cover drainages. What is the idea behind sellers of lubricants just a little pole from the primary school covering the drainage with their racks? Who built ‘ahia orie osusu’?, the only possible outlet for water to find its way to the right channel. I am sure the govt did not do that? Who owns the block of shops at Osusu by Nwagba? Wouldn’t the people be reasonable enough to realize that their own recklessness is responsible for the poor state of their environment?

3. Do you also know that at the last count, there are over forty boreholes in Osusu Road and all waste water coming from these boreholes are channeled straight into the earth/road surface. The same people also channel waste water from their baths to the main road. Is there any relationship between this dastardly act and the overall state of Osusu Road?

4. Okigwe Road has some elements of sanity, that is why may be the road is still passable.

5. If you go to the area where they sell tyres at Azikiwe, you will be confronted by the recklessness of a people who are their own enemies. Can someone help me differentiate between the drainage and the spot where tyres are littered the whole of Azikiwe? Is their any relationship between the massive flooding around Azikiwe by Asa and the activities of the men who still trade in worn out tyres with impunity?

6. Mosque (Hospital and Jubilee Roads) especially the areas where they call ‘Ama Hausa’ and where fabrics are sold are all covered up. What could be the reason behind building shops on waterways and drainages as commonly found around these areas?

7. Howells Crescent, Pound Road, York, Ube and East ends of Jubilee, Hospital, Market, Ehi and Tenant Roads are in perfect condition because houses and shops around these areas are well spaced out. Why are these roads in almost perfect condition while all the ones in over rail are recklessly eroded by the people themselves?

8. That market called ‘ahia umungasi’ is definitely at the wrong place. Which other city do you see such eye sores other than Aba?

9. If you take a drive from the General Hospital down to where they motocycle lubricants are parts, you will know why that area is hardly passable each time there is light showers. Adults, responsible family men and those who have bad words for the government have covered all the area with corrosive chemicals from lubricants and blocked the drainage with their wares. Is this business or self destruction?

10. Aba is reputed to practice street trading more than any other part of West Africa. This practice has over the years proven to be counterproductive. Yet, the inhabitants of this city look beyond their attitude as reason for the current state of their city.

11. Cant government in Abia insist on knocking off these structures (I understand there are over 5,000 of such structures dotting the streets of Aba) to make way for a beautiful and serene Aba?

I want to us to leave sentiments aside and examine with religious commitment the attitude of Aba residents with a view to establishing if they are the cause of their own woes.

In the coming days, I will x – ray Ariria, Ahia Ohuu and Ekeoha markets. I also hope to bring out salient points to proof that Aba will wear a new look the day the attitude of Aba residents change for the better. In case you did not know, there are lines in Ariaria called ‘gutter line’. Who built them? That is how insensitive a people can be, erecting shops on water ways.