Princewill & The Threatening Refuse Dump In Rivers

By Odimegwu Onwumere

It looks like a tall order, the war to rid Port Harcourt, the Capital City of Rivers State, of refuse. This follows an indiscriminate disposal of refuse in Port Harcourt. The quest of meeting the ends in a hurry has led to the totality of dumping refuse anyhow within the Port Harcourt enclave.

Speaking to newsmen in Port Harcourt during this year's World Environment Day, Prince Tonye Princewill, the leader of Action Congress in Rivers State advised the need for people to adhere to the available environmental laws and dumpsites, in lure of brazenly despoiling the environment.

Princewill opined that the introduction of private sector and the commercialization in Nigeria is at its best, but reiterated that cart pushers should spare the residents with uncalled-for attitude of disposal of refuse.

“Port Harcourt should stop being a refuse land. I am surprise that mountain of refuse is a common sight now in Port Harcourt and its suburbs,” Princewill said. “We can't turn deaf ears and sealed lip to the environmental disaster the proportion of dirt exposes us to.”

Further, Barrister Osimah Ginah, who is the indomitable erstwhile Commissioner for Urban Development Rivers State, said, “We can't claim ignorance of the indiscipline character with which many people litre the milieu. People don't tend to use the wastecans in the city anymore? We have to be assuring ourselves of good manners at all times.”

In his homily on that World Environmental Day, Princewill was of the belief that refuse take over our houses and block drainages, obstructing the flow of water in the drains. The government should take refuse disposal very seriously. Government should poise to providing every necessary means to get the environment rid of dirt. We have the right to dialogue with the government by speaking out even when we know that we could be attacked.

We should stop endangering our lives and causing the fear of possible outbreak of epidemic. We have to be good ambassadors of the habitat. It is asserted that cleanliness is next to godliness. That is why we should form the habit of keeping the environment clean always, for the love of the ecology.

Odimegwu Onwumere is the Founder of Poet Against Child Abuse (PACA), Rivers State. 08032552855. [email protected]