Worried over the indiscriminate dumping of refuse and untidy environment masterminded by the residents of Ahiamakara, Ogbunabali Nwaja rivers axis in Port Harcourt local government area, the Rivers State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Nyema Weli has given the people of the area one month ultimatum to vacate the area.
In a chat with journalists at the scene, Dr. Nyema Weli who was represented by the permanent secretary of the ministry, Dr. George Nweke expressed sadness over the indiscriminate dumping of waste, which he said had blocked the Nwaja river, causing flooding as well as building of illegal structures, describing the place as an eye-saw, and pointed out that such had potential health risk to the residents of the area which may lead to death if not prevented as prevention is better than cure.
Dr. Weli urged the people of the area to vacate within one month or would be force to vacate the area if resisted.
According to the environmental boss, the state Ministry of Environment will join hands with our sisters ministry, Urban Development to make the place habitable and urged residents of the area to obey the directive as to achieve their target of clean and healthy environment in the area and entire state.
On his part, Mr. Oliver Wolugbom, the Rivers State Director of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, who noted that its duties was to inform and educate people on how to live well in the society noting that his agency has done its best across the LGAs of the state in disseminating information to the public and urge residents of the area to always maintain a high level of cleaning their environment in their own interest.
He appealed to government to always create a proper conducive environment for the residents of the state to live.
In a chat with journalists Miss. Deman Jamila a Ghanaian lady who operates a restaurant in her room with four workers noted that it was lack of finance that made her to combined restaurant in her living room and appealed to the government to give them more time to vacate.
Mr. Christopher Winda an indigene of Khana LGA and a resident of the area blamed his landlord, Mr. Swanna an Ogoni man for not taking care of the place but interested in the collection of house rent and urge government to intervene.
It would be recalled that during this month environmental sanitation exercise, Dr. Nyema Weli on a reliable information moved quickly with his team to Ahiamakara Ogbunabali Nwaja axis and discovered indiscriminate dumping of waste, illegal structures built across the area, bedroom converted to restaurant manage by a Ghanaian lady Miss Deman Jamila, selling of goods such as sugar canes, potatoes, water melons among others which littered in the area and made the place inhabitable.###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
