Efforts to tackle the lingering waste disposal crisis in Rivers State may soon see a turnaround, following the formal inauguration of seven key agency boards by the Sole Administrator of the State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas.
Leading the list of inaugurated bodies is the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), a critical institution tasked with addressing the state’s mounting sanitation challenges.
During the inauguration ceremony held on Friday evening, Ibas charged the new board members to approach their responsibilities with discipline, innovation, and commitment.
He particularly emphasized the urgency of overhauling the state’s waste management system, warning that poor sanitation poses serious health risks to the public.
“We must move away from the culture of indiscriminate waste disposal,” Ibas said.
“The public should understand that poor sanitation isn’t just unsightly, it’s dangerous.”
The ceremony also saw the swearing-in of board chairpersons and members of six other state agencies, although their names were not disclosed in the official statement.
Ibas made the remarks earlier in the day when he received members of the Senate Committee on Works, who paid him a courtesy visit at the State Government House.
