…Join forces to restore Port Harcourt’s Garden City status

 

The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) and the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) have launched a partnership aimed at tackling illegal waste dumping and poor sanitation practices as part of efforts to restore Port Harcourt’s reputation as Nigeria’s Garden City.

 

The collaboration was unveiled during a meeting between officials of RIWAMA and the executive members of the Rivers State PCRC, where both organisations pledged to strengthen community-based sanitation enforcement and public awareness campaigns across the state.

 

Speaking at the meeting, RIWAMA’s Supervisor of Market and Community Sanitation, Mr. Omereji Ukoha, said the initiative aligns with the vision of the agency’s Managing Director, Dr. Ibimina Wokoma, and Board Chairman, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, to improve environmental sanitation and reverse the city’s declining cleanliness.

Ukoha described the PCRC as a critical grassroots partner capable of driving behavioural change in communities through sustained public enlightenment.

He identified the New GRA area of Port Harcourt as one of the worst-hit locations for flooding, attributing the situation largely to indiscriminate dumping of refuse into drainage channels.

According to him, the proliferation of illegal shanties in front of residential buildings has worsened the problem, as many are converted into makeshift trading points that eventually become refuse dumps.

“The flooding in New GRA is caused by illegal dumping, littering of refuse and the absence of proper receptacles for waste disposal. It is GRA and it must remain GRA. Residents must take responsibility for maintaining the standard expected of the area,” he said.

Ukoha warned that the agency would intensify enforcement against illegal waste disposal, stressing that both residents who patronise unregistered cart pushers and the operators themselves risk prosecution under the Rivers State Waste Management Agency Act of 2014.

He explained that RIWAMA was gradually phasing out the activities of unregistered cart pushers, describing the practice as unlawful and detrimental to effective waste management.

He urged residents to engage only registered waste service providers and collaborate with PCRC branches within their communities to promote proper sanitation practices.

In his remarks, Rivers State PCRC Chairman, Dr. Voke Emore, commended RIWAMA for recognising the committee as a strategic partner in addressing environmental sanitation challenges.

He said restoring Port Harcourt’s Garden City status would require a collective effort involving government agencies, local government councils, community leaders, market associations and residents.

Emore particularly called on local government chairmen to play a more active role in waste management, noting that councils already collect sanitation levies from traders and should therefore become key partners in enforcement.

“We noticed that local governments collect sanitation levies from market people. They should be the principal partners to RIWAMA on solving the waste disposal challenge. RIWAMA is understaffed in enforcement, but with the cooperation of local governments, we can achieve a cleaner Rivers State,” he said.

Describing the sanitation situation in the state as an emergency, Emore stressed the need for sustained public education and community mobilisation.

He said the PCRC, with its presence across local government areas and communities, would continue to sensitise residents on the dangers of indiscriminate waste disposal.

According to him, improved sanitation would not only enhance public health and environmental sustainability but also contribute to crime reduction by eliminating refuse-clogged roads and other locations that provide cover for criminal activities.