Florence Uwaeme
As the Officials of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency, RIWAMA, arrested some scavengers in Port Harcourt for flouting sanitation rules in the state, the development has been met with mixed reaction from Rivers state residents across different social media platforms.
The scavengers who operate at various dumpsites were arrested for opening bagged wastes, thereby littering the roads.
Some of the reactions were in support of the arrests while some other commenters condemned the arrests stating that RIWAMA should make provision for proper dumpsites in the state and stop using road maiden as dumpsites.
“This arrest is very long overdue….. I hope they will sanction them properly to stop the act. These scavengers have really been a mess to the state…”
“This is a good move o. Their activities have become really bad. They go about messing places up , constituting nuisance. Let dem go to the main place where the RIWAMA dump the dirts they carry from all over , if they want to sleep there, good for dem abeg.”
“See we should stop all these excuses and blame game. Those who dump wastes on the streets why did you not arrest them? If RIWAMA have dump site I am sure these will not happen and by the way, these people are even helping o reduce the waste by selecting the ones for recycling.
Leave them alone, they’re not thieves but men trying to make ends meet.”
“This is a good move. Their activities have become really bad. They go about messing places up , constituting nuisance. Let them go to the main place where RIWAMA dump the dirt they carry from all over , if they want to sleep there, good for them abeg.”
“Government should caution them and release them because they are searching for their daily bread they are not thieves.”
“Their arrest is a good one. The rate at which this scavengers scatter and litter our garden city environment with wastes, is now an issue of concern. What do these Northerners really want here? They can’t be destroying our farms with their cows and at the same time destroying our living environments! Are there no scrap and wastes in the North?”
