The Chairman of Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority, Mr. Isoboye Jack, has called on residents of Bundu-Ama waterfronts to inculcate the culture of bagging their wastes for evacuation.
Mr. Jack made the call while addressing residents of the area when Kinaputi Fashion Initiative, a Non-governmental Organization, NGO, headed by Lady Catherine, an Italian Woman and her foreign team embarked on cleaning exercise at Bundu-Ama waterfront during this month’s environmental sanitation exercise in Port Harcourt.
According to the sanitation boss, bagging refuses in nylon bags became necessary to facilitate the evacuation of wastes as well as make the environment cleaner.
Mr. Jack who expressed profound gratitude to lady Catherine and her foreign team, commended them for their initiative for ensuring that the waterfront areas are cleaned, promised to partner with the NGO to make the exercise more effective as well as actualize their dream.
He further assured government’s readiness to provide incentives and make the polythene bags affordable to the residents of the waterfront, as well as provide receptacles that would not be far from the road for easy evacuation of their wastes.
The sanitation boss said that he had visited the marine base waterfront to ensure clean environment in the area prior to the visit of Bundu waterfront and advised the people of the area to conduct the sanitation exercise every Saturday of the week since there were backlogs of wastes in the area.
Mr. Jack noted that government has been spending huge amount of money for the evacuation of refuse generated by residents of Port Harcourt and its environs, stressing that it has get to a point where refuses would be paid for as a way to assist government on its benevolent gesture.
Earlier, in a chat with journalists, Francisca Roset who spoke on behalf of the Kinaputi Fashion Initiative Foreign, hinted that their objective of coming to the waterfront was to ensure that the environment is clean and enjoined residents to inculcate the culture of using the polythene bags to evacuate their refuses.
Roset who said they reside in Lagos, promised to sustain the project and enjoined people of the waterfronts to be cooperative and commended the state government for partnering with them, assuring extension to other waterfronts.
In his speech the chairman of the Bundu waterfront, Prince Williams Ada who is also the Vice Chairman of Rivers State NLC, expressed joy that his desire has come to reality. Prince Ada noted that the people of the waterfront were desirous to have receptacles for the evacuation of their wastes and commended Mr. Jack for remembering the people of waterfront.
He appealed to the Rivers government to train the people of the waterfronts on the need to clean their environment.
He commended the Kinaputi Fashion Initiative for initiating the project which according to him would enhance clean environment in the waterfronts and urged them not to relent.
Prince Ada also lauded Amnesty International for their advocacy and for protecting the residents of the waterfronts.
The Vice chairman of Bundu waterfront, Mr. Gentle Dandison Acheseomie who disclosed that he has live at the waterfront for over 40 years, said the reason for the untidy area was that most residents of the waterfront do not participate in sanitation exercises.
He expressed joy that the foreigner has come to rescue them and enjoined people of the area to change their attitude and participate in sanitation to ensure healthy environment.
Similarly, chief Christian Abibo, the chief of Bundu-Ama waterfront commended Mr. Isoboye Jack and his team as well as the Kinaputi Fashion Initiative foreign team for ensuring clean environment in their domain and appealed for its sustenance. ###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
