The Port Harcourt City Local Government says ongoing waste management lapses are undermining sanitation efforts across Port Harcourt, despite intensified daily cleaning operations by its sanitation team.
According to the council, its personnel have sustained routine activities including street sweeping, waste removal, and the clearing of drainage systems across major parts of the city in a bid to maintain a clean and orderly environment.
However, the council expressed concern over what it described as recent complacency by the Rivers State Waste Management Agency, particularly in waste evacuation. It noted that refuse has been left unattended along major roads such as Ikwerre Road and Olu Obasanjo Road, with debris littering road medians.
The development, the council said, has significantly diminished the visibility and impact of its sanitation efforts, as residents continue to encounter heaps of waste in key areas.
The local government has called on RIWAMA to urgently mandate its service providers to resume effective waste collection and disposal, warning that failure to act could lead to a relapse into environmental conditions previously experienced in Aba.
Sanitation activities in the city are being supervised by the Mayor, Allwell Ihunda, whose administration reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a cleaner and healthier environment.
The statement, signed by Chief Press Secretary Boyle Gift Ike on behalf of the mayor, also urged relevant state ministries and agencies to demonstrate greater commitment in addressing the situation.
