Joy Anyim
Sole Administrator of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), Felix Obuah, has condemned the continued arrest and attack of staff of the agency, while discharging their duties.
According to Obuah, some security agents and thugs, parading themselves as Community COVID-19 Enforcement Team, had attacked and injured staff of the agency in parts of Rivers State.
Condemning the most recent attack in Obia/Akpor Local Governmnet Area of the state, on May 10, 2020, where some staff were severely injured, the RIWAMA boss maintained staff were part of essential service providers.
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Obuah, in a statement signed by the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Jerry Needa, warned those victimising RIWAMA staff to desist from the act.
According to the statement: “The attention of the Sole Administrator, Rivers State Waste Management Agency, RIWAMA, Bro Felix Obuah has been drawn to unwarranted arrest, detention and attacks on Service Providers, working with the Agency.
“It will be recalled that the Governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike during a live radio programme in Port Harcourt on Monday last week, two days before the commencement of the total lockdown in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, unambiguously stated that service providers working with RIWAMA, are on essential service of keeping the State clean, and should therefore be accorded unhindered access to all roads and streets in the State to evacuate wastes and continue to keep Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, and its environs clean.
“It is sad that in spite of the Governor’s clear directive, service providers working with RIWAMA, carrying out daily evacuation of wastes from the streets and roads of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State Capital and its environs have been on many occasions attacked, subjected to severe beaten, wounded by some locals and, in some cases arrested, detained and their operational vehicles impounded by security agencies.
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“Amongst many cases, some locals yesterday, Sunday May 10, 2020 along Eliozu Road, before Depper Life Bible Church, close to Adamack Company, in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, under the guise of Community COVID-19 Enforcement Team attacked one of our service providers and his staff, beat them to stupor and inflicted deep cuts on their heads and bodies, with machetes.
“Those wounded are all critically in the hospital. In view of the foregoing we wish the general public, particularly the law enforcement agencies, and the community boys who are masquerading are COVID-19 Enforcement Teams, that service providers working with RIWAMA are under those on essential services and are covered by the pronouncement of the Governor that they are authorized to do their work without any obstruction.
“ Services Providers working with RIWAMA which are authorised to do their daily work of evacuating refuse in the State should be allowed to do their work without any arrest, attack, molestation and or restrictions. Wastes evacuation at this time of COVID-19 pandemic is key for the overall health condition of all those living and doing business in the State, therefore they should be encouraged to do their work, and not to attack, arrest and wound them, as we have witnessed in the past 6 days.
“The Agency has accordingly reported those arrest and attacks on its Service Providers to the Governor of Rivers State, law enforcement agencies, the Chairmen of Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt Local Government Areas.
“We condemn the spate of attacks, arrest, detention and impoundment of operational vehicles of service providers, and call for an end. ”
