PH Breathes Fresh Air As Taskforce Tackles Refuse

Barely a week after the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike set up a five-man taskforce chaired by Hon. Isoboye Jack to tackle the worrisome city’s refuse disposal management, refuse dumps are fast disappearing within the metropolis.
The Tide Metro check around the city indicates that most affected areas like Elelenwo, Elioparanwo, Rumueprikom and Rumuolumeni are now breathing fresh air as most of the refuse dumps along the road have been cleared.
In a chat with The Tide Metro, Chairman of the taskforce committee, Hon. Jack explained that soon the city will be rid of filth as the committee is bent on achieving its mandate.
According to him, “Currently as I’m talking with you Ada George to Ikwerre Road is completely free. Elelenwo area is almost cleared. From Rumuokwuta to Choba is 90 percent done, while East-West Road to Obiri-Ikwerre has been completed”.
A new dumpsite was opened at Obiri Ikwerre area as receptacles at Rumuodara and adjoining areas have been evacuated.
He stated that more trucks have been assigned to areas like Eneka, “and we have cleared the heaps at Elioparanwo and mobilised more trucks to Egbelu area”.
Jack attributed the success so far recorded in clearing the city waste to monitoring team that was set up to go round the city in order to clear areas that were becoming eye sore and posing challenge to traffic.
“The enforcement team we set up is to ensure the timing and dumping of wastes by the public was adhered to. “What we have done now is to create efficiency in evacuation so we have to announce new time”, Jack declared.
The new time now for the general public to dump wastes is from 6pm to 10pm. The Tide Metro learnt that before now, it was fixed between 6pm to 12pm.
With the enforcement unit on ground, defaulters will be arrested, especially those dumping refuse on the road medians.
Recall that with the rising refuse heaps in parts of Port Harcourt metropolis and Obio/Akpor, the state had to set up a taskforce.
Refuse evacuation had been a major problem in the city, especially since the former Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency, Felix Obuah, resigned his appointment to contest the governorship position in the state.
The statement reads, “The Rivers State Governor, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike, has set up a five-man taskforce on sanitation to oversee the clearing of refuse in Port Harcourt and its environs”.
Other members of the task force are Hon. Josiah Olu, Hon. Victor Ihunwo, Prince Wali Wosu and Princess Ibiene Ogan.
Meanwhile, the new waste management taskforce has debunked claims that the body was collecting revenue from the public.
Chairman of the body, Hon Jack said it has no such mandate and has not authorised anybody to collect sanitation levies from the public.
He however said such revenue collection may be from the state revenue board and not from the sanitation authority, as it has no such powers.

By: Kevin Nengia