Business
Motorists, Residents Decry Waste Dump On PH Road
Some motorists and residents of Afikpo and Lumumba streets have decried the non -evacuation of a huge heap of waste blocking the Afikpo/Lumumba junction in Mile I area of Diobu in Port Harcourt.
The Tide gathered that the heap of waste with weeds growing on it was dumped by residents of the area during the last sanitation exercise in the state.
Madam Mercy, a resident of the area, told The Tide yesterday that the big waste dump had become a problem following the failure of authorities responsible to evacuate it.
“When residents were dumping the waste on the road during the sanitation exercise of over two months ago, I advised them to pack it by the side of the road, but they insisted on packing the waste in the middle of the road hoping that sanitation people will come and remove it, but you can see that for over two months it has remained there”.
She said the waste was causing health hazard and obstructing traffic flow on the two roads and called on the authorities concerned to take steps towards evacuating the waste.
Another resident of the area, Mr John Amaobi, also lamented that the waste dump was causing serious problems in the area as well as health concern.
“You can see this woman selling Akara (bean cake) just few meters away from the heap of waste, flies petrch on the heap and also fly on the Akara and bread she sells, though I am not a health expert, but obviously, this situation is not the best for us.
“I appeal to the Governor of the State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to prevail on those concerned to come and evacuate the dump in the interest of us all”, he said.
A taxi driver who plies Rivers State University/Mile I Flyover, Chidi Nze, said the dump had become a problem for commercial drivers plying the route.
Nze told The Tide yesterday that some minor accidents had occurred there in the course of drivers drying to pass the intersection but thanked God that serious ones had been prevented from happening.
“We are not happy that residents of the area deliberately blocked the middle of the road instead of packing the waste by the road side but we appeal to the sanitation people to please come to our rescue”, he said.
Chris Oluoh
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.