…..as Wike declares war against Police men
Governor NYESOM WIKE has again knocked the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) led by the former State Chairman of the PDP, Brother FELIX OBUAH.
WIKE, in his New Year broadcast claimed that Port Harcourt is one of the cleanest and finest cities in Nigeria but regretted that the Urban renewal effort of his administration is being defaced by lack of efficient waste disposal system by RIWAMA.
“The beauty of our city is being defaced by the inefficient refuse disposal system; illegal and indiscriminate trading in our streets, under the flyovers and under unauthorized open spaces”.
This is not the first time Governor WIKE has spoken ill of RIWAMA. Other times, he had threatened to sack the Sole Administrator of the Agency.
Reacting to the poor sanitary condition of the state capital, some pundits had alleged that RIWAMA is being underfunded, leading to the abysmal performance of the agency in recent times.
A source, who spoke in anonymity said the Rivers State Government initially cut down RIWAMA’s monthly allocation from N700 million naira to N500 million.
The source said that the amount was further reduced, adding that the release of the fund has lately not been consistent, as it ought to be released monthly.
In the meantime, some residents of Rivers State have expressed concerns that the usual monthly sanitation exercise in the state has not been conducted and even when it is observed, has not been efficient for several months ago.
Recently, a youth leader in the, BANI NWISABARI, who is the Chairman of a faction of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in an interview confirmed that Rivers State has turned from “GARDEN CITY TO A GARBAGE CITY”.
NWISABARI BANI advised the Rivers State Government to rejig the sanitation system in the state to be efficient for the sake of the health of Rivers residents.
Efforts to speak with officials of the State Government on this, at the time of filing this report, proved abortive.
In a related development, Governor WIKE has warned security operatives (policemen), who aid and abate illegal trading, by collecting bribes and allowing traders to trade on the roads to desist forthwith or face the wrath of the law.
