PHALGA Tackles Rising City Waste As RSG Sets Up Taskforce

The authorities in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State, say stringent measures are being deployed to restore the Garden City status of Port Harcourt.
Chairman of the council, Hon. Allwell Ihunda gave the hint when he played host to a delegation of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco.
Speaking through the Secretary to the Port Harcourt City Local Government Council, Chile Owuru, the PHALGA Chief Executive Officer disclosed that the council under his leadership spends about N800,000 daily on waste disposal and sanitation.
Ihunda commended the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco for its expression of concern over the refuse debacle, noting that the club is the only organisation that has visited the council to offer its assistance in ending the menace, assuring that his administration was taking aggressive steps to salvage the situation across the city.
“Upon realising that there are no refuse dump sites in PHALGA, the council created some, one at the Njemanze area of the city.
“Part of the measures the Mayor has adopted is making every government appointee in the Council an automatic member of the Sanitation Committee with the responsibility of monitoring waste disposal in their neighborhood,” he added.
Earlier, the President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco, Emem Okon had informed the Port Harcourt Mayor that the
club was in his office to show concern over the wastes ravaging parts of the metropolis and explore mutual avenues of checkmating the ugly situation.
President, Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco, explained that the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco is the first Rotary Club in West Africa and the second in Africa whose key focus is environmental protection and conservation.
Okon, who is also the Executive Director of Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, lamented that “it is dangerous to allow wastes litter everywhere on the streets and roads in the Garden City”, adding that if steps were not taken to immediately evacuate the wastes, there is the possibility of diseases’ outbreak with devastating impact on the vulnerable ones, especially, women and children in this era of COVID-19 and smallpox pandemic.
She commended the Port Harcourt Mayor for taking urgent steps in ensuring the city gets back its Garden City status.
Recent survey by The Tide Metro revealed that the council machinery was already afield evacuating refuse in different parts of the city as trucks were seen at various locations clearing up garbage from various receptacles and road sides.
Meanwhile, the Rivers State Government has announced a five man committee to tackle the rising refuse in the city metropolis.
Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, announced the set up of a five man Taskforce on Sanitation, to oversee the clearing of refuse in Port Harcourt and its environs.
Members of the task force on Sanitation are
Hon Isoboye Jack (Chairman)
Hon. Josiah Olu;
Hon. Victor Ihunwo;
Prince Wali Wosu; and
Princess Ibiene Ogan.