RIWAMA Sole Administrator, Bro. Felix Obuah Lauds Gov Wike’s Support For Environmental Sanitation

…As Rivers IPAC Partners Agency For Greater Service Delivery

The Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah has commended Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike for his relentless efforts in ensuring that the State sustains its place as Nigeria’s cleanest State.

Bro. Obuah who gave the commendation on Saturday in Port Harcourt while receiving members of the State Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) who have volunteered to partner the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) in the cleaning of the State, said the operations of the Agency and the environmental outlook of the entire state have tremendously improved from what the Wike administration met on ground in 2015.

According to the RIWAMA boss, there was garbage everywhere in the State including RIWAMA premises, as properties seized from people for default of Environmental Sanitation laws littered everywhere when Governor Wike assumed office on May 29, 2015.

Bro. Obuah noted that because of Governor Wike’s passion for excellence and zero tolerance for dirt in the State, the Agency has been on its toes at all times to ensure nothing but excellent service delivery.

The RIWAMA Sole Administrator said with IPAC, an umbrella body of all registered political parties in the State coming on board, just like other organizations who have volunteered to support the Agency, the gap will be filled with sincerity of purpose.

Bro. Obuah who seized the opportunity to highlight some of the activities of the Agency to include monitoring, education, evacuation and disposal of refuse, emphasized that in some states in the country, those who generate wastes are made to pay for the evacuation of these wastes but, according to Bro. Obuah, “Governor Wike pays for the evacuation and disposal of wastes generated by Rivers people and those living and doing business in the State at no cost to them.

He also disclosed that RIWAMA was not collecting revenue of any sort as the sole duty of revenue collection is the responsibility of the Rivers State Board of Internal Revenue.

“We are very sympathetic and simple in our approach unlike what obtains in other governments who will go all out with taskforces to enforce all types of revenues from the people”, Bro. Obuah told the IPAC members.

He went on: “As we came in, we changed the structures, environment and office spaces in RIWAMA hence we have a befitting police post, security post and restaurant”.

He further stated that owing to the nonchalant attitude of some residents towards the environmental sanitation, the Agency had to introduce the Mobile Sanitation Court for arrest and prosecution of sanitation defaulters to serve as a deterrent to others.

Bro. Obuah recalled that many groups have come in the past to assist the Agency but regretted that most of them actually came with ulterior motives, hoping that IPAC is sincere in their support as they have always done in the electioneering and politicking days.

While also commending them for their bold initiative, Bro. Obuah noted that the success recorded in the last General Election was possible because of the support and unity of purpose demonstrated by the majority of IPAC members, adding that they stood on the truth even after the election.

Also speaking at the event, the Director of Administration in RIWAMA, Mr. Abraham Ian Gobo also commended the Rivers IPAC for their initiative, noting that cleaning of the environment should be a team work and expressed happiness that IPAC has volunteered to partner with the Agency as also exemplified by other community based groups.

Earlier in his address, Rivers State IPAC Chairman, Hon (Sir) Precious Baridoo said the partnership with RIWAMA was a way of contributing its own quota towards restoring Port Harcourt to its Garden City status as well as complement its service delivery efforts.

He stressed that their support was not limited to electioneering but to also ensure the success of the Wike administration in area of environmental sanitation.

The IPAC Chairman appealed for official recognition of the group known as “IPAC Environmental and Sanitation Marshall Volunteers”, adding that the group intends to go into the streets of Port Harcourt, the State capital and its environs on weekly basis and periodically participate in some flash points as a demonstration of their resolve.