The Mayor of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area (PHALGA), Sir Alwell Ihunda JP, has said that one of his administration’s top priorities is the restoration of the Garden City status of the once most beautiful city in Nigeria.
Addressing a press conference to mark 100 Days of at the Council’s Secretariat at Moscow Road, Port Harcourt on Wednesday, the PHALGA Chairman said the Council would complement the good efforts of the state government to ensure that the once touted ‘Pitakwa’ takes its enviable place as Nigeria’s Garden City.
Re-emphasizing that to keep Port Harcourt clean is the responsibility of all and sundry, the PHALGA boss said his administration would invigorate on the inhabitants of the city, the age long culture of cleanliness which they were known for.
“We are intensifying environmental sanitation campaign. As soon as we came on board, we constituted an Environmental Sanitation Committee in the council. We divided Port Harcourt City Local Government into six zones and appointed persons to oversee each zone.
“What we have done recently is to approve engagements of Road Sweepers. The essence is to complement the efforts of the state government under the instrumentality of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), that is statutorily assigned with the responsibility of refuse disposals”, he disclosed, adding that the Road Sweepers have been positioned at strategic locations in the city.
The Executive Chairman of PHALGA said the road sweepers have been given the mandate to ensure that on daily basis all roads in the city are swept clean with no debris left out.
He further disclosed that part of the plans to sustain the Garden City status of Port Harcourt is mounting close surveillance on the drains at major streets, so that people don’t thrown debris into them and block the free flow of waters.
“If you pass the Azikiwe axis, starting from Government House down to Isaac Boro Park, on both sides, you will see, on weekly basis, our men cutting grasses. This action is also carried out at Old GRA, Nkpogu, Trans Amadi and Elekahia (Stadium Road).
“These efforts are basically to ensure that Port Harcourt is returned to the Garden City status that it is known for over the years. It is expensive to engage service providers to ensure that the streets are not overgrown with weeds but for the sake of our precious Garden City, we must make the sacrifice”, he said.
Sir. Alwell Ihunda seized the opportunity to condemn the activities of vandalizing manholes at various points in the city, adding that security operatives have are now on the trail of the thieves and their sponsors.
“We have warned them overtime on radio and other media platforms, requesting them to desist from the nefarious acts, and since they have chosen to continue, the law would not spare any person caught in the act”, he said, adding that a committee has been mandated to go round the city to determine the number of manholes removed.
“You cannot believe this but we discovered that over 500 manholes have been stolen”, he revealed but added that the Council have engaged the services of welders to ensure prompt replacement of the stolen manholes.
