The Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) has warned waste service providers and street sweepers against delays in refuse evacuation, threatening sanctions for those who fail to keep their assigned areas clean.
The Managing Director of RIWAMA gave the warning during an emergency meeting with service providers at the agency’s conference hall in Port Harcourt.
He said the agency would no longer tolerate unattended refuse, indiscriminate dumping or delays in waste collection across roads, streets and public spaces in the state.
The Managing Director also announced plans to establish a Strategic Intervention Team to handle waste that regular compactors cannot evacuate, including construction debris, tyres, plastics, wood and metals.
He explained that the team would operate as a rapid response unit to support existing waste contractors and ensure prompt removal of refuse across Port Harcourt and its environs.
The RIWAMA boss urged contractors to take responsibility for their assigned zones and cooperate with one another to improve sanitation.
Speaking at the meeting, a service provider, Ian Gobo, commended the Managing Director for addressing their concerns over dump management. He said the intervention had renewed their commitment to delivering on their responsibilities.
Gobo, however, appealed to Governor Siminalayi Fubara to fulfil his promise of increasing payments to service providers to help them cope with the rising cost of operations.
The Managing Director reiterated that any contractor or sweeper who fails to comply with the agency’s new operational directives would face sanctions.
