Is Port Harcourt Still The Garden City?

In Nigeria, Port Harcourt is generally known as the ‘Garden City’. Port Harcourt did not come about this appellation by chance. It was as a result of its aesthetic beauty. As a matter of fact, the oil city was a pride of every Rivers man. Besides being the capital of the oil rich state, Port Harcourt attracts visitors who come to do one business or the other in the State.

Lately however, it is doubtful if one can still regard Port Harcourt as the Garden City. This is because what makes the city a garden of beauty has faded away.

The city now wallows in pitiable, impoverished image. Besides the high rise in population that has led to congestion in the city, our drainage system has gradually eroded the beauty of Port Harcourt. The indiscriminate dumping of refuse in public places and on drainages constitutes an eyesore, and sometimes leads to blockage of drainages, thus leading to flood in most cases.

I think Port Harcourt deserves a better drainage system, while at the same time requires stringent measures and laws against illegal and indiscriminate dumping of refuse. This is because despite the efforts of the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Agency in ensuring dirt-free city, most residents are still in the habit of dumping refuse indiscriminately, especially in market places.

Still talking about dirty habits, the state of markets in Port Harcourt leaves much to be desired. Places like Mile One Market, Mile Three Market, Slaughter Market are in no way befitting of the status of the ‘Garden City’.

I find these markets irritating each time I go for shopping, most especially during the rainy season. Apart from being too muddy to walk on, the attitudes of traders to sanitation are too poor. They display their items mostly food items in open places, leaving them for flies and other insects to perch on.

The state of our abattoir is the worst. A visit to abattoir at Trans-Amadi can make one develop permanent hatred for Nigerian abattoirs in general. Each time I go to the abattoir, I use to wonder if that is the place the meat we eat in Port Harcourt come from.

Apart from the unhygienic condition of the abattoir, which always pollute the air with offensive odours, the way and manner by which the meat are being processed poses health hazards to consumers.

Meanwhile, the traffic congestion in Port Harcourt is another minus for the Garden City. Due to inflow of more people into the city and lack of good roads,  Port Harcourt has suddenly become another Lagos where traffic congestion is a way of life.

Although credit must be given to the present administration led by Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi for opening up more roads in Port Harcourt and its axis, one must admit that Port Harcourt is still far from experiencing free flow of traffic. More roads need to be built, while the existing ones are expanded.

It is unacceptable in a city that prides itself as the capital of the oil rich State for commuters to spend two or three hours to get to their destinations within Port Harcourt.

It is therefore necessary for all of us, both government and the citizenry to develop a will and culture that would restore Port Harcourt back to its Garden City status. In particular, it is the duty of government to safeguard the environment and health of those residing in Port Harcourt City by establishing and enforcing laws that will evoke the consciousness of the citizenry to the essence of good sanitary system.

In the same vein, our markets and abattoirs need serious renovation and upgrading to acceptable standards. There is no doubt that the State government has, in recent times, renovated some markets and even built new ones such as the ones in Mile One. These however, are not enough to accommodate the teeming population of traders in Port Harcourt City. It would be more appropriate if some markets such as Mile One and Mile Three markets and the Spare Parts Market at  Ikoku are relocated to somewhere else that would not constitute an eyesore to the beauty of Port Harcourt.

Meanwhile, the State Ministry of Environment needs to double its effort in preventing the misuse of our abattoirs by meat sellers.

At the same time, the ministry and its agencies should rise up to the challenges of checking the excesses of market traders in their poor handling of food items, with offenders adequately punished. Government should place priority on good hygiene, than curative measures.

Citizens themselves, especially market traders should imbibe good, hygienic habit in order to safeguard the health of the citizenry, and as well give Port Harcourt the beauty it deserves. Port Harcourt must regain its status and beauty as the Garden City of Nigeria.

Lenee is of the Department of Mass Communication, RSUST, Port Harcourt .