The Sole Administrator of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Bro. Felix Obuah, on Friday flagged off the daily inspection of shops, business premises and residential areas in the state capital, as part of the ‘Operation Keep Port Harcourt and Environs Clean” by the Agency.

The RIWAMA Sole Administrator, while flagging off the exercise, commended residents and those doing business in the Diobu axis of Port Harcourt for complying with the directive to keep their homes, shops and surroundings clean.

Obuah said he was particularly pleased with residents and business operators in Diobu, who have keyed into the principles of RIWAMA to maintain clean and safe habits.

He further said he was also happy that those whose premises were littered with pure water sachets and other disposables cooperated with the Agency by sweeping and dumping them at the appropriate receptacles.

The Sole Administrator, who went on the inspection tour with his team of officials, said the exercise had just commenced, assuring it would be done on regular basis.

Obuah said the Agency does not expect the residents and shop owners to be perfect in their waste control and management effort, saying it was for that reason that the exercise becomes necessary.

According to him, “the essence of this exercise today is to let people know it is no longer business as usual. All hands must be on deck, residents, shop owners and even commuters must make conscious effort to ensure their environment is kept clean at all times”.

He disclosed that the Sanitation Marshalls had been directed not to limit their inspections to the road sides but to also ensure that inner sections of the homes and business places are kept clean as well.

“What is outside is also inside and that is why part of our inspection today includes even households,” the RIWAMA Sole Administrator declared.

Obuah intoned that what the Agency aims to achieve with the exercise was to create a level of awareness of safe sanitation habits, adding that cleanliness is next to Godliness.

He disclosed that the next line of the exercise would take his team to D/Line and GRA axis of Port Harcourt and assured that it would continue until every segment of the City is reached.

“We deliberately refused to concentrate on the city so people would not think we have only GRA and other highbrow areas in mind. We concentrated on the Diobu area, which is assumed to be littered with refuse, and you could see the level of compliance by the residents.

“If Diobu, of all places, which we know that is always dirty can be as clean as this, tell me what you can talk about GRA, D/Line, Town and other places? That would tell you that people have started keying into the campaign to keep Port Harcourt and its environs clean,” he said.

While reminding those who have refused to cooperate with the Agency to keep their surroundings clean of the consequence of being dragged to the Sanitation Court for prosecution, Obuah assured that those who will partner with RIWAMA to maintain a clean environment would receive, in his words, his ‘handshake’.

The RIWAMA Sole Administrator again appealed to residents and all those doing business in the State not to wait for the inspection train before tidying up their premises, but to be proactive by clearing all debris in and around their environment in compliance with the directive and principles of ‘Operation Keep Port Harcourt and Environs Clean” by the Agency.

He reiterated that the Agency will stop at nothing in achieving its objective in line with the directive of the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.