The Chairman, Abonnema Wharf waterfront in Port Harcourt, Mr Taribo Benson has decried the absence of modern toilet facility in the waterside for drivers and passengers doing business in the area.
The community chairman also called on the Ministry of Transport to build a modern lounge in the jetty to accommodate sea travellers and protect their wares.
He spoke to The Tide yesterday at Abonnema Wharf during an interview on the challenges faced by the residents of the area.
Benson who decried the absence of a public convenience in the jetty said, the sad situation forces passengers and drivers to defecate in the river, thereby polluting the water.
The community chairman also called on the ministry to reclaim the jetty and make it commercially viable to attract investors.
He frowned that, the jetty lacked modern life vest for travellers, as he blamed the acts as responsible for water accident along the route.
Benson, who blamed companies for dumping of waste in the river, appelled to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) and the Ministry of Transport to clean up the debris in the state waterways.
The community leader called on security agents to arrest and prosecute anybody, companies that dump refuse into the river, describing the act as sabotage.
He appealed to boat operators and resident of Abonnema Wharf community to carry out periodic environmental sanitation in the area to clean up the country to attract investors and boost commercial activities at the waterside.

Chinedu Wosu