…Says there’s No Witch-hunting

The new Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Amaechi Obuah resumed work on Friday and held meetings with top management of the agency, refuse contractors as well as the union of staff under the aegis of AUCPTRE.

Addressing the refuse contractors in the meeting which held at the Conference Hall of the agency, Bro. Felix Obuah who is also the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed dismay at the refusal of the refuse contractors to return to work even after Governor Nyesom Wike directed them to do so last Wednesday.

The RIWAMA   Boss hinted that the recalcitrant behaviour of the contractors necessitated his appointment by the Governor to take charge of the affairs of the Agency with a view to return Port Harcourt to its Garden City status.

He said the Governor personally took a surprised tour of the streets of Port Harcourt on Thursday and described what the Governor saw as an eyesore.

The Sole Administrator said that following the development, the governor had directed that the city must be cleaned up within 24 hours and that any contractor who contravened the directive would have his contract terminated.

Obuah added that his mandate was not just to return the city to its lost glory, but to instill a culture of cleanliness on residents as well as visitors.

Bro. Obuah said Governor Wike was not oblivious of the fact that the contractors were being owed as much as four months backlog by the outgone administration of Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, and assured that with their cooperation, he would do everything possible to clear all outstanding.

“We are aware that you are being owed millions of Naira by the past administration.  But you are also aware that we just came on board and met an empty treasury.

“For us to succeed, we need you to succeed but if you are not willing I want to assure you that there are thousands of contractors ready and willing to provide this service” he stated.

The Sole Administrator warned that he would not hesitate to show those unwilling to do the job the way out but urged those willing to do the work and not to entertain fears, as he had not come to victimize any one.

“We have not come here to look at your party affiliations.  We are here as Rivers State people.  If you do your work genuinely, I will be the first to encourage you and pay you your money.  But if you are not ready to do your job, no matter your personal relationship with me, I will make sure I terminate that contract and give it to those ready and willing to work” he said.

Some of the contractors who spoke at the meeting assured that they would comply with the directive by the Sole Administrator.

They itemized some challenges which mitigates effective disposal of refuse to include deplorable state of roads leading to the respective dump sites and called on the Governor to fix the roads to ease movement of the trucks.