Governor Wike

Some residents of Port Harcourt and its environs have urged the Rivers Sate Government to be proactive in managing refuse collection.

The respondents made their views known in a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey in Port Harcourt on the sanitary condition of the state capital.

According to them the Rivers Environmental Sanitation Authority has failed to ensure effective collection and disposal of refuse generated by residents.

NAN reports that most parts of the state capital are experiencing indiscriminate refuse dumping by residents and left uncollected by the authorities.

Mrs Angela Wigwe, a trader, accused the refuse disposal companies of breach of contract due to their failure to effectively collect and dispose refuse in the state.

“There are companies paid to collect and dispose refuse; what we see today means that they have failed to do their jobs.

“These companies and the government have to show that they are serious; Port Harcourt is fast becoming very dirty,’’ she said.

Also speaking, Dr Obioma Daniel, a teacher, said that leaving refuse uncollected or indiscriminately dumped constituted a public health risk

“The state government handles refuse collection; what we see at the moment is not acceptable, government needs to be effective in this area.

“If the current system is not working, government should evolve a new policy that will ensure effective refuse collection,’’ he said.

Another resident, Mr Ikechi Ebere, a lawyer, said that it was wrong to blame the sanitation authority alone, adding “ residents are also guilty in this matter,’’

He said that some residents of the city exhibited poor sanitary culture by dumping refuse indiscriminately.

“How do you blame the authorities for not collecting refuse when the residents are obviously worsening the situation?’’ he asked.

Ebere called for proper enforcement of the laws governing environmental sanitation in the state as a way of curbing indiscriminate dumping of refuse by residents.

(NAN)