The Rivers State Government has assembled a five-man task force to quickly address the deteriorating health situation in the Port Harcourt City Local Government Area of the state.
A statement signed by Rivers State Governor’s Special Assistant on Media, Kelvin Ebiri, last Wednesday said, “His Excellency, Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, has put in sets up a five-man Sanitation Task Force to oversee garbage collection in and around Port Harcourt.
“The members of the Sanitation Task Force are: Hon. Isoboye Jack (Chair); Hon. Josiah Olu; Hon. Victor Ihunwo; Prince Wali Wosu; and Princess Ibiene Ogan.
“The appointment takes effect immediately.”
The statement directed “All members of the Task Force to report to the Governor’s Office, Government House, Port Harcourt by 3:00 p.m. on Thursday 2nd June 2022”, for a briefing.
Meanwhile, Port Harcourt City Local Government Area said it had spent 800,000 naira a day to dispose of waste in the city.
Council secretary Chile Owuru said this as he welcomed members of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco who paid a courtesy visit to the litter and filth plaguing parts of the metropolis.
Owuru, who represented the chairman of the council, explained that measures were however taken to save the situation.
“After realizing that there were no dumps in PHALGA, the council created one in the Njemanze district of the city. Part of the measures the mayor has taken is to make every government appointee to council an automatic member of the sanitation committee responsible for overseeing waste disposal in their neighborhood,” reads in part. the press release.
The PHALGA scribe, however, praised the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco for their concern, while noting that the club was the only organization to visit the council to help end the threat.
On her part, the President of the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco, Emem Okon, explained that the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Eco was the first Rotary Club in West Africa and the second in Africa whose main objective is the environmental protection and conservation.
According to the president, who is also the executive director of the Kabetkache Women Development and Resource Centre, “it is dangerous to leave litter all over the streets and roads of the Garden City”, adding that if measures were not taken to evacuate waste immediately, there was the possibility of an outbreak of disease with devastating effects on vulnerable people, especially women and children in this era of COVID-19 and the smallpox pandemic.
She, however, praised the council for taking urgent action to ensure that the city regains its garden city status.
2022-06-02