The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, will today, meet with chief executive officers of environmental sanitation service providers in the state.
A statement signed by the Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor, Electronic Media, Simeon Nwakaudu, indicated that the meeting would hold by 4pm at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
The statement reads, “This is to inform the Environmental Sanitation Service Providers of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) that only owners of the said service providers can attend the meeting with the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
“Any service provider, who sends a manager or staff to represent him/her at the meeting will have his/her contract revoked.
“Once again, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike will meet with all Environmental Sanitation Service Providers of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) on Monday, August 5, 2019 at the Government House, Port Harcourt by 4pm”.
The statement further emphasised that the meeting is specifically designed for chief executive officers or managing directors of the service companies, warning that, “Any service provider that fails to attend the meeting will have himself to blame”.
Meanwhile, in a bid to strengthen the governance process, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, last Friday, signed into law three bills passed by the state House of Assembly.
The bills signed into law include the Rivers State Street Trading, Illegal Markets & Motor Parks (Prohibition) Bill No. 8 of 2019, Rivers State Healthcare Facilities Registration Bill No. 6 of 2019 and Rivers State Environmental Protection and Management Bill No. 7 of 2019.
Giving his assent to the bills at the Government House, Port Harcourt, Wike said that the state government was committed to entrenching good governance and the rule of law in the state.
Wike said that the state government would diligently implement the Rivers State Street Trading, Illegal Markets & Motor Parks (Prohibition) Law to clean-up Port Harcourt and its environs.
“We have vowed to bring Port Harcourt back to its Garden City status. This law will help us stop illegal street trading, illegal motor parks and illegal markets within the city centre.
“We are not going to allow the littering of the state capital. In the next few weeks, people will see improvements in Port Harcourt”, he said.
The governor directed the state Attorney General to officially approach the Chief Judge of Rivers State for the appointment of Magistrates for the Mobile Courts.
He said: “We have six mobile courts. So, as they arrest offenders, they will be tried and sentenced by the courts. We didn’t start implementation because there was no law”.
Wike said that the state government has employed workers to fully implement the law.
He noted that the 400 workers would work in shifts till 8pm everyday to ensure that nobody engages in street trading, illegal markets and illegal motor parks.
On the environmental law, Wike said that the state government would work towards improving the environmental sanitation of the state.
He said: “We are spending N6billion to evacuate waste annually. Even at that, people still carelessly dump refuse on the roads.
“This time, if you generate refuse, you will pay government to clear it. I have directed the Honourable Attorney General to prepare a bill to be sent to the House of Assembly over these environmental issues”, he said.
In his remarks, the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani said that the state lawmakers were pleased with the achievements of the Rivers State governor, and assured that they would continue to support his administration.
He said that the three laws were focused on enhancing the living standard of Rivers people.
Ibani also said that what the Rivers State governor was doing in collaboration with the House of Assembly would lift the state ahead of others.
Earlier, the Majority Leader of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon Martins Amaewhule, had presented the three bills to Governor Wike for assent.
Those who witnessed the signing into law of the bills, are top government functionaries, the leadership of the state House of Assembly, the leadership of the state Judiciary, some permanent secretaries, among others.
Also, the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike has reiterated the important role traditional rulers could play in ensuring peace and sustainable development in the state.
Wike said this, yesterday, in Port Harcourt during a peace and security conference/reconciliation convened by King Disrael Bob-Manuel, Amanyanabo of Abonnema in Akuku-Toru Local Government Area of the state.
Wike, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, said that the state would continue to encourage and support peace building efforts by community leaders as government alone could not provide security for the people.
He expressed concern over the absence of major political gladiators during the last elections in the peace and security conference that was aimed at achieving reconciliation.
“The discussion of peace and security cannot be complete without the involvement of all, especially the political class in local government areas.
“During the last elections, Akuku-Toru LGA alone had up to 10 governorship aspirants whom I expected to see here with their supporters contributing to the issue of peace, security and development of the local government.
“All persons, politicians, men, women, youths, boys and girls should be part of the peace building process in this community,” he said in a statement by the Media Officer in the office of the Secretary to State Government, Miss Juliet Masi.
According to Wike, security agencies such as the military which played a vital role and increased the tension and crisis in the area during the last election were not also represented.
“If we must x-ray what went wrong in the last election, any discussion that does not highlight the role of the military is cowardly as we must face reality to make progress.
“The conference’s intention to see youths shun cultism, political/election violence, use of illicit drugs, thuggery/rape should as well be extended to the security agents that caused mayhem in the community,” he added.
Wike urged the conference convener and Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Bob-Manuel to ensure the involvement of the council of chiefs in his domain to put all hands on deck in the establishment of the peace in the council.
Earlier in his presentation titled, “Strategic Response to Sustainable Peace and Security in Akuku-Toru LGA”, Pastor Christopher Briggs, discussed the immediate causes of violence and criminality in the area and presented recommendations to sustainable peace.
Also speaking, the Chief Superintendent of Police in the local government, Mr Uzota Chidi, advised youths and political leaders to be law-abiding and peace-loving.
Uzota said that even when only a few people cause the crisis, all members of a community would suffer its consequences.
The Amanyanabo of Abonnema, King Disrael Bob-Manuel said the peace and security conference was organised to mend the community which was divided along with political differences and chieftaincy disputes.