Port Harcourt, Rivers State — RIWAMA MD Meets Rivers CP as the Rivers State Waste Management Agency steps up efforts to stop indiscriminate dumping and improve environmental sanitation across Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor.
The Managing Director of RIWAMA, Dr Ibimina Wokoma, led the agency’s management team to meet the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju, at the Police Headquarters on Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
The meeting focused on enforcement, public awareness and closer cooperation between RIWAMA and the police.
RIWAMA said it wants to restore Port Harcourt’s reputation as the Garden City while improving waste management across the state.
Dr Wokoma said the agency had engaged communities, traditional rulers, youths and other stakeholders to change attitudes towards waste disposal.
He said the campaign encourages residents to bag and dispose of waste properly and on time. It also targets cart pushers, scavengers and people who dump refuse in drainages, under flyovers, on road medians and other unauthorised locations.
However, the agency says enforcement alone cannot solve the problem. It has therefore sought stronger cooperation from security agencies.
RIWAMA MD Meets Rivers CP after the agency said the Police Community Relations Committee had already shown support for its sensitisation and community engagement efforts.
In response, CP Adepoju pledged the command’s support for RIWAMA’s enforcement operations.
The police commissioner described indiscriminate dumping as more than an environmental offence. He said it could also create public health and security risks.
He urged RIWAMA to combine enforcement with sustained public education.
The commissioner recommended the use of traditional institutions, churches, mosques, markets, schools and the media to reach residents.
Both agencies agreed to establish a joint enforcement and enlightenment committee. The committee will coordinate operations and support a wider campaign against illegal waste disposal.
The partnership is expected to strengthen compliance and help create a cleaner and safer environment in Rivers State.
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