Environment
Street Residents Embark On Drainage Cleaning
Awkuzu Stree in the Mile One axis of Diobu, Port Harcourt witnessed a busy moment last Saturday as the residents embarked on the desilting of drainages in the area.
When The Tide correspondent who visited the area on Saturday said the people were seen in their large numbers clearing sand and refuse dumped in the drainages. Some residents had their portions cleaned Friday night.
Speaking to this journalist, the chairman, Environmental Sanitation committee on the Cleaning of Drainages at the street, Pastor Clement Emenike explained that the residents were worried over the volume of water and sand in the drainages which caused flooding during rains, hence they embarked on the project.
According to Emenike, a landlord in the street, “our stress gets flooded whenever it rains and water gets into people’s rooms and shops because the gutters are over-filled with sand and refuse, so we decided to set up a committee that tasked the residents huge amount of money for the desilting and evacuation of the sand and refuse”.
He commended the landlords, caretakers and tenants of the street for their cooperation and understanding, describing the exercise as a huge success as they came out enmasse while urging the government to ensure the regular cleaning of drainages in the Port Harcourt metropolis.
Also speaking to The Tide, a caretaker of one of the buildings, Comrade Henry Braide expressed to gratitude to the entire people participated in the exercise which described as excellent.
“The exercise is excellent and I am very impressed by the large turnout of the residents. We know that government alone cannot do everything for the people hence we decided to embark on the project which cost us huge money and energy. We are also aware that it is a government project”, he emphasized and called on the government to encourage the people to enable them continue to support, especially in environmental sanitation to maintain the Garden City status of Port Harcourt.
Another caretaker, Mr. Rakirima Horsfall told The Tide that when members of the Drainage Cleaning Committee approached officials of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) on the exercise, they were allegedly asked to pay N350,000, pointing out that “we had to resort to hiring some Hausa boys who assisted us since we could not afford to pay the amount demanded by RIWAMA officials.
In his reaction, another caretaker, Mr Michael Friday hailed the courage and determination of the Awkuzu Street (middle) residents and urged the government recognize their effort as it is the duty of the RIWAMA to evacuate refuse and clean the drainages, and ensure that the state capital is clean.
Tonye Fubara, a caretaker also spoke to this newsmen, recalling that residents of the street had been carrying out the exercise since 2004, adding that it has been a big task each time they wanted to do it and called for government’s support as “we always find ourselves in a pathetic situation whenever it rains”.
On his part, Mr Chike Obi, who led a RIWAMA supervisory team on flood control to the area commended the Awkuzu Street residents for their effort and promised that he would send the report to the appropriate quarters for reward.
Shedie Okpara
The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has issued a seven-day flood advisory, warning of a medium flood risk in 17 states between July 21 and July 27.
The agency said the alert followed rising water levels at key river monitoring stations, increasing the likelihood of localised flooding along river channels and floodplains.
NIHSA Director-General, Umar Mohammed, disclosed this in National Flood Advisory (Alert No. NFA-2026-200) issued on Tuesday.
He said the affected states are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
According to Mohammed, river levels at Saminara on the Karam River, Waya Dam Site on the Waya River and Amber on the Amber River had exceeded watch and warning thresholds.
He said 16 gauging stations nationwide were recording elevated river stages, placing nearby communities at risk of localised flooding.
Mohammed urged state governments, local authorities and residents of flood-prone communities to take precautionary measures immediately.
NIHSA said Bauchi had the highest exposure, with 1,841 communities, 145 schools, 101 health facilities and eight markets identified as vulnerable.
The agency also identified vulnerable communities and public facilities in Edo, Imo, Kaduna, Plateau and Benue states.
Mohammed urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs), local governments and community leaders to activate emergency response plans.
He recommended relocating residents, livestock and valuables from floodplains to safer locations
He also advised emergency agencies to pre-position food, medical supplies and water treatment materials in areas likely to be affected.
“The NIHSA boss called for community mobilisation through early warning volunteers and local communication channels to ensure timely dissemination of flood alerts.
He cautioned residents against walking, driving or riding through flooded roads, bridges and fast-flowing waterway.
A cleaner environment begins with collective responsibility. That commitment was evident across Umuahia on Saturday as thousands of residents turned out to participate in the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise, with officials describing the compliance level as one of the most encouraging in recent months.
The impressive turnout has renewed hope that Abia’s campaign for a cleaner and healthier environment is steadily becoming a culture rather than a routine exercise.
The July monthly environmental sanitation exercise in Umuahia recorded about 80% compliance.
The Abia State Ministry of Environment described the turnout as a strong indication that residents are embracing Governor Alex Otti’s vision for a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable environment, while calling for the establishment of Neighbourhood Environmental Watch groups to sustain the momentum.
The Abia State Government has commended residents of Umuahia for their impressive participation in the July monthly environmental sanitation exercise, describing the turnout as a strong indication that citizens are embracing the state’s campaign for a cleaner and healthier environment.
Speaking after monitoring the exercise across major parts of the Umuahia metropolis, the Permanent Secretary, Abia State Ministry of Environment, Mr. Ikechukwu Oriuwa, expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance and urged residents to sustain the momentum.
According to him, the success recorded during the exercise reflects growing public support for the environmental agenda of the Labour Party-led administration.
“I think, so far, so good. At this point, what we need to do is sustain the momentum. We should move forward with establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch so that residents can monitor compliance and ensure the initiative is sustained,” he said.
Mr. Oriuwa further applauded both residents and the organisers for the success of the exercise.
“Well, I must say I am very impressed. I appreciate the organisers for putting this programme together. It has been highly impressive, and I believe participants have learnt a great deal. From what I have observed so far, everything has been well organised, and I think they are doing an excellent job. I encourage them to keep up the good work because programmes like this are beneficial to everyone,” he added.
The Permanent Secretary stressed that environmental sanitation should become a daily culture rather than an activity observed only on designated sanitation days.
Drawing from an Igbo proverb, he explained why communities must collectively protect their environment.
“An Igbo proverb says that a goat owned by the public often goes hungry. That is why establishing a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch is important. It will encourage residents to take collective responsibility for keeping their surroundings clean and ensuring that sanitation efforts are sustained.”
He also urged government agencies to strengthen enforcement by deploying environmental health officers to carry out routine inspections and ensure compliance with sanitation laws.
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