Metro
PH: The Return Of A Garbage City?
The Spillover of the Christmas and New Year celebrations is now being felt in the form of huge waste dumps that are now a common sight in Port Harcourt.
No matter the route one follows into the city, huge refuse dumps saunters from a distance as one drives into the metropolis from both the Aba Road axis and Choba axis.
The Eleme axis is not spared as well. Even driving from the Bonny waterfront into Town buses and taxis meander through the dump sites at Creek Road. The dump becomes glaring at Lagos bus stop,’ just few metres from the junction.
The whole picture depicts rot with a simple message of a city whose refuse collectors have gone to sleep. But as at Monday when the dumps started disappearing from the exit corners, the city centre was still beset by lots of abandoned waste dumps.
From the Agip Estate at Rumueme driving down straight into Abacha Road, one is greeted by a waste dump stretching few metres into the high brow neighbourhood.
As one exits Woji junction in the new GRA and enters Onne Road another refuse dump erupts from a distance exuding foul odour.
At Mile 3 Park a huge refuse dump had almost become permanent there till late last year when refuse collectors evacuated it, but from indications the dump has continued to swell leading, sometimes to heavy traffic jam along the route.
Fortunately the dump at Education bus stop was totally cleared, while the one at Mile one Market has continued to fluctuate in size over the period. However, the collectors should be commended for trying to check the dump at the market.
Moving further to the Mile 4 axis, the dump at market junction is yet to be fully cleared. The same scene dots the Ikwerre Road all the way to Rumuokoro Junction, where a huge dump as at last week sits close to the Anglican Church by the roundabout.
From the Iwofe axis, a huge refuse dump is almost spilling unto the road just beside Jarus Base. The same scenario dots the road down to Rumuolumeni.
One resident in the area who gave her name as Amaka Peters lamented that most times dumps take a whole month to clear since collectors hardly come into the area.
Luckily areas like Trans-Amadi, Woji town including Amadi-Roundabout where a little bit spared during the period even though there were slight presence of waste dumps often quickly cleared before they become nuisance.
Within the slaughter area, residents and traders breathed a sigh of relief as not much of waste dmps where seen within the axis, except when one drives into Azuabie axis.
Investigations by The Tide on Sunday reveal that most refuse collectors whose sites are out of public glare or far from the city centre hardly evacuate their sites often leading to the mountainous waste heaps seen in those areas.
Areas often affected include Iwofe, Azuabie, Elelenwo, Rumukurushi, woji and deep down Borokiri area in town axis of the metropolis.
Miffed by the poor waste management in the city last year, the state governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi had announced plans by his administration to evolve an efficient waste evacuation systems.
The governor had at a public forum last year flaked waste contractors for their failure to meet up government expectation, while lamenting that waste management had become a burden to his administration.
Few weeks after the governor expressed displeasure over the situation, the State Commissioner for Environment Barrister Kingsley Chindah quickly evolved measures to salvage the situation.
Part of the measures evolved by the environment ministry include the introduction of night sweeping, monitoring of indiscriminate dumping of refuse by residents, introduction of special sanitation days for public places such as: markets, parks and motor-parks.
However, the special sanitation days for public places is yet to have the desired impact, since most of the users of the area fail to turn up or participate fully.
Environmental experts are of the view that most of the waste that deface the city are generated in public places, and therefore harped on the need for government to intensity campaign in monitoring those places.
Commenting over the swelling waste dumps within the metropolis, an environmental engineer and lecturer in the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST), Dr. Alexander Akor remarked that indiscriminate dumping of wastes affects people life span.
Most especially he observed that when waste water seeps underground, it affects the quality of drinking water.
Dr Akor observed that since most borehole water are hardly treated peoples lives are endangered.
The environmental expert further warned that waste dumps can ignite fire as a lot of bacteria in the waste can spark fire when they are overheated by the sun. Such fire Dr Akor insisted can also spread to houses, especially in congested neighbourhoods leading to loss of lives and properties.
In a swift reaction to the situation, the Rivers State Environmental sanitation Authority (RSESA) on Wednesday issued a pres statement calling on all waste contractors to handover government properties in their possession.
According to the statement signed by RSESA chairman, Hon. Nnamdi Wokekoro, “All refuse disposal, dumpsite management controls with the Rivers State Government have been terminated with effect from 31st January, 2010.
The announcement The Tide on Sunday investigations reveal cannot be disconnected from the glaring ineptitude of refuse contractors to rid the city of filth.
In order not to worsen the situation, the agency called on the refuse contractors to continue their duties till the end of this month or forefeet their payment for the month of January.
From indications, however contractors who have met the requirement of the RSESA may likely be re-appointed before 31st January.
Nevertheless, the major challenge on ground now is to ensure that the huge waste dumps is cleared around the city since that is one way to maintain the Garden City status of Port Harcourt.
Traditional rulers in Rivers State say they are mobilising their subjects to ensure Governor Siminialayi Fubara’s administration succeeds.
The Chairman of Rivers State Council of Traditional Rulers(RSCTR), Eze Oha Apara IV of Apara Kingdom, Eze Chike Amadi Worlu – Wodo gave the assurance at the 117th and 118th quarterly general meeting of the council held in Port Harcourt.
He commended the state governor for maintaining peace in the State despite the unwarranted political crisis orchestrated by selfish and overzealous politicians.
He stated that Governor Fubara should not retaliate by toeing the violent path, adding that Rivers people know those who are over-heating the polity.
The chairman further appealed to people of the State on all sides of the political divide to remember that they have nowhere else to call home apart from Rivers State, saying that they must not allow their personal interests to destabilise and stifle growth of the State.
“As traditional rulers, we owe our State the duty of making it peaceful by cautioning our children against violent act. We, therefore, cannot caution anybody if we allow ourselves become overly partisan.
“ We will then lose the moral authority to reprimand those causing trouble when we take sides.So I say let us all work assiduously to maintain peace in Rivers State,” he said.
He used the medium to advise the supporters of the governor to avoid persons or events that will cause violence, as detractors want to make the State ungovernable so as to call for the declaration of state of emergency.
“ Let me use this opportunity to thank Your Excellency for maintaining peace in the State in the face of the unwarranted political crisis orchestrated by selfish and overzealous politicians.
“ You must not, Your Excellency, fall into their traps by going the violent way. All of us know that those who are over-heating the polity have one aim of making this state ungovernable so as to make it fit for a declaration of state of emergency”, Eze Worlu- Wodo said.
He thanked the state governor for appointing him as the chairman of traditional rulers, council adding that he will contribute his own little quota to the development of the traditional rulers council and by extension, our dear State, Rivers State.
“ Council records have shown that this is the second time since you became Governor of the State on May 29, 2023 that you have approved and released funds for two sets of combined quarterly meetings of the council.
“ This means that your administration is not indebted to us in terms of payment of our meeting sitting allowances.
“ It takes only someone who is both law-abiding and generous to be able to do this.
“On behalf of the traditional rulers, I thank you our Governor”, he said.
Stories by Kevin Nengia
As the Rivers State Ministry of Transport announces an ultimatum to commercial drivers to paint their vehicles with the approved state colour latest on August 1, some commercial drivers have pleaded for more time.
The directive was announced on Monday by the State Commissioner for Transport, Prince Collins Onunwo as it insisted that after the deadline, defaulters will not be allowed to operate.
He said in a statement signed by him that the new order is for uniformity and to ensure subsidised rates. “The Rivers State Ministry of Transport and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) have reached an agreement with some designated automobile painting workshops, interested persons can contact the following persons.”, he said.
Meanwhile, responding to the directive, some commercial drivers who spoke to The Tide Metro sought for more time so that they can source money to paint their vehicles.
Kennedy Amahu, who plies between Choba and Mile One said , “ the time is too short. August 1 is just less than two weeks from now and I don’t think many of us can meet the deadline.”
Besides, he explained that many commercial vehicle owners do not paint their vehicles as this allows them to take charter and drops into restricted facilities.
He argued that if their vehicles are painted with state colour, many of them will lose customers and will be restricted to enter some places.
On his part, Hope Nwankwo decried the time given by the government, “ I can’t meet up, but if they extend it to October”, many of us can try.
So far, according to Nwankwo, who ferries passengers from Iwofe to Mile One, Diobu, many of his fellow drivers are not aware of the new policy.
He begged that government should do more extensive publicity on the new directive.
Another commercial driver, Anele Nwobi said what should be done is to register the vehicles to monitor car theft than painting vehicles.
“As far as I’m concerned, “ Nwobi said, “ this new government directive will empower Agberos and the police to harass commercial drivers.”
He recalled that previous administrations had given such directive but that after a while, it failed because of poor implementation.
Nwobi argued that with the poor economy, it would be difficult for many drivers to meet the deadline since most of them are on hire purchase. “The price of fuel is too high now for most of us to cover our daily returns, he said.”
Jaja Stephens, a keke bus driver told The Tide Metro that painting vehicles is quite expensive and hence, many of them will be put out of the road.
Apart from pleading for time extension, Stephens further stated that there is need for the drivers unions to sensitise their members, stressing that many of them are not aware of the new government directive.
It was supposed to be a book launch but fate turned it into a day of reminiscence for natives of Rebisi in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of Rivers State.
For over 113 years when their great grandfathers ceded some parts of their land to colonial masters and named it after Sir Harcourt then Secretary of Colonies in 1913, natives of Port Harcourt became part of the new metropolis now called Port Harcourt.
According to Eze Apara Rebisi, HRM Isaiah Elekwu, about 25 square miles of their land were ceded to develop the new city which included a new port and railway at the time.
Fortunately, the book launch turned to a historical forum as speaker after speaker spoke of the past and the rich heritage bequeathed by their fathers.
It was this backdrop that made the paramount ruler of Port Harcourt, HRM Elekwu to charge historians to begin earnest documentation of Rebisi people as a way to preserve their heritage.
The royal father gave the charge during the launch and public presentation of the book, ‘Rebisi Natives of Port Harcourt: History and Developments’ written by Arthur Kalagbor held on Wednesday in Port Harcourt.
The monarch said intellectuals in the Kingdom should engage more in written than oral history, as he commended Kalagbor for leading the light in documenting his people.
He described the book as the beginning of a new era in Rebisi Kingdom and quest to ensure that there is cohesive and united front among the people.
Calling on elites in Rebisi to rise to the challenge of leadership, Eze Elekwu said time has come to save the future of the Kingdom.
Part of the charge by the Rebisi monarch was to make sure that the struggles of their great grand fathers were captured.
For instance, he recalled that while the 1913 agreement made both by Okrika and some Rebisi chiefs were rejected, the colonial authorities were forced into accepting it.
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Sunny Amadi said he was elated that a new awakening has started in Rebisi Kingdom with the book.
The university teacher however, advocated for a new economy for Rebisi as he called for use of estate development to drive future growth of the people.
“In his words, Today most parts of Rebisi have been overtaken by development and that is why I urge our people to see opportunities from the estate , and built environment to preserve the future of children.”
Reviewing the book, Dr Chris Akani described the work as historical legacy, that seeks to throw light on the ontology of the people.
He stated that the seven-chapter book with 106 pages is fluid and easy to read, with special focus on the origins of Rebisi people.
Akani added that, “it’s an exciting book that has come at the right time and I think the author should be given a resounding ovation”.
The book reviewer noted that the book is a response to the desire of indigenes to know their roots.
Following the expansion and migration by Rebisi children which included, Okuta. Abali; Ola Ekenigbo and others.
Said he, “Rebisi had four wives, and he was a young man aching for success. And so the children did not relent to expand like Orubom and Abali who were adventurous.”
The expansion according to the university don was as a result of wars and skirmishes and this took place between 1700- 1734. And this led to the conquer of Elekahia.
While launching the book, former House of Representatives member representing Port Harcourt Constituency, Hon. Ken Chikere described history as key to the future.
He said, “if we know our history, then, we will be fully guided.”
Hon. Chikere, a former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General added,” “What is important is to know where you come from. We need to learn our history, so that no one writes our story for us.”
In his remarks, the book author, Arthur Kalagbor disclosed that the book is an outcome of a study group set up by Rebisi Monarch in 2014.
In the view of Kalagbor, the book is not a folklore, but rather a collation of oral history compiled and confirmed by various sources.
He said,” Even with the lack of reading culture, we still need to write with information that are verifiable and evidence-based.”
With the completion of the assignment to collate history of the Kingdom, he noted that he was compelled to expand the frontiers to cover other areas of culture and origins to educate the young generation.
Kalagbor reiterated that the book is dedicated to the future generations who have little knowledge of their history, and thanked royal fathers, and local sources for support, including former President of Ogbakor Ikwerre Organisation Worldwide, Prof. Otonti Nduka for writing the forward of the book.
Kevin Nengia