Journal of Global Social Sciences September 2020, Volume 1, Number 3, 185-203 ISSN: Print 2735-9344, Online 2735-9352

ASSESSMENT OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN : A STUDY OF AND OBIO/AKPOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS - 2011-2020

Sakiemi A. IDONIBOYE-OBU, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Department of Political Science, Port Harcourt, Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Irrespective of the existence of Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA), residents of Port Harcourt and Obil/Akpor Local Government Areas have continued to witness reckless dumping of refuse in unauthorized places. The study assessed the waste management system in River State with a focus on Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas. The study adopted both primary and secondary sources of data and also embraced the Environmentally Responsible Behaviour (ERB) as a theoretical framework. Content analysis was utilized as a method of data analysis. The study found that the near absence of public awareness and the wrong perception that waste management is merely a social function as some factors accounting for ineffective waste management in Rivers State. The study recommends that while the government should consider the need to commercialize waste management service in the state, a professional waste management administrator should be hired to head the relevant authority in charge of this public service.

Keywords: RIWAMA, Waste Management, Solid Waste, Generator, Environmental Citizenship.

Assessment of Solid Waste Management System in Rivers State: A Study of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor …

1. Introduction

1.1. Background to the Study

Chandrappa and Das (2012, p.1) hold that “waste management is one of the most important problems’ of the present age ‘as development and subsequent use of materials generate enormous quantity of wastes.” Waste refers to “unwanted material at the point of generation which does not have immediate use” (ibid) to the person or organization responsible for generating them. Waste may take the form of solid materials or sludge, among others, and require to be managed. Solid waste management (SWM) entails the collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of solid materials which have “no immediate use for a generator” (i.e. materials that served the purpose for which they were acquired and are no longer useful to their owner). Solid waste management is a major issue in public policies on the environment, industrialization, and urbanization. It has generated much public concern in popular and policy circles across the globe and in all ages, as well as multidisciplinary scholarly researches on the dangers associated with improper waste disposal methods.

The primary solid waste generators in Rivers State are households, traders, artisans, and local industries and most of the waste generated are in the urban centres. The surge in urban waste generation is blamed on increased human population induced by rural-urban migration and industrialization. The problem of urban migration is exacerbated by insecurity in the rural and semi-urban areas of the state. Within the period of this study, it is observed that cult activities in rural communities of Rivers State might have contributed to the rural-urban migration to the city centres studied. For instance, Ogele, Sarki, Solomon and Kaka (2020) stated that between 2015 and 2019, several communities in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Area of the state became ghost towns as residents fled for safety to city centres.

Consequently, scholars have established that as cities grow wastes accumulate in the streets and water courses and in effect, degenerate and degrade the aesthetic value of a city. By extension, it habours flies, flees, mosquitos, rats, rodents and other disease vectors that pose acute health risks like malaria, filariasis, yellow fever etc. (Okoli, Egobueze and Briggs, 2020). These accompanying maladies do not only disturb residents and visitors but cause great embarrassment to the government. Most state capitals and urban centres in Nigeria are faced with the twin problem of environmental pollution and solid waste management. Improper

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Idoniboye-Obu disposal of municipal solid waste can also create unsanitary conditions and health challenges as described above.

Conscious of the fact that citizens’ health depends on good environment, several legal and institutional frameworks are in place in Nigeria to enable governments at all levels to protect and improve the environment. For instance, among the fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy in Nigeria is an environmental objective which requires the state in S.20 to “protect and improve the environment and safeguard the water, air and land, forest and wild life of Nigeria.” Though nonjusticiable, the provision of an objective on the environment speaks to the concern the framers of the constitution have for the environment. However, the failure to elaborate on this objective as was done for the others raises doubts as to the seriousness of that concern. The constitution also provides in Part II of the Fourth Schedule how waste is to be treated and managed. The combined effect of the provisions indicates that solid waste management is in the concurrent list of the constitution. In other words, the federal, state and local government councils have the power to make legislations, formulate and implement policies on waste management within their boundaries.

Given the above and in an effort to ensure a clean state especially in the city centres of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas, the Rivers State government has overtime formulated and implemented some environmental policies. In 1983, it established the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority (RSESA) to tackle municipal waste and other related issues, but due to the pitfalls in the discharge of its statutory responsibility, the law was repealed to suit present realities in waste management globally. Okoli, Egobueze, and Briggs (2020) said that even Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) that was established in its place by the state house of assembly RIWAMA Law No. 2 of 2014 has been criticized for inability to discharge its statutory obligation. In like manner, the state government complied with the monthly national sanitation exercise declared by the federal government several years ago to be observed in all states of the federation.

Despite a host of policies and regulations, there still persists some problems with solid waste management in the city centres of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas of Rivers State each passing day. This paper will attempt to assess the waste management system in these areas with a view to evaluating its effectiveness within the period under review.

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Assessment of Solid Waste Management System in Rivers State: A Study of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor …

1.2. Statement of the Problem

Issues on solid waste disposal and management have been a recurring decimal in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas of Rivers State where a considerable percentage of refuse is deposited either on the roads, unapproved dump sites, in water ways, drainage systems, open sites, etc. The menace of solid waste is common to all markets, commercial centres and most streets in the areas studied. Between 2015 and up till late 2019, solid wastes were found recklessly dumped in the median of roads. This is partly because of population surges in the city centres and inadequate waste receptacles located along the highways. Even when waste disposal contractors clear them, particles of refuse were still found littering the streets. At designated refuse collection points or dump sites, refuse are neither treated nor disposed of regularly.

The underlying problem with these uncivilized acts of waste management is that waste materials carelessly dropped on highways are washed into the drains hindering free flow of storm water that causes adverse flooding in the city centres. For instance, it has been observed that the flooding recently being observed in parts of Ikwerre Road (that is, at Rumueme Civic Centre and between and Obaziolu Street in Diobu area) might not be unconnected with blocked drains. This is evidenced by plastic containers that litter the roads or surfed up from gutters after the rain.

Another problem is that if solid wastes remain untreated, it might lead to air, water, soil pollution, etc. Similarly, the stench that is discharged from the refuse dumps are unbearable to the inhabitants - particularly to those residing in the areas designated as refuse collection points by waste management agencies (Okoli, Egobueze, and Briggs, 2020). Improper collection and disposal of solid wastes adversely affect environmental friendliness as it does not only pose threats to public health but adversely affects the fauna and flora of the environment. The health implication of improper waste disposal is enormous and cannot be ignored as it has been reported that the buildup of uncollected wastes fuels the spread of disease. Globally, between 400,000 and 1 million people die every year as a result of poor waste management (Harvey, 2019).

Apart from indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Rivers State, illegal motor parks, disorderly picking and dropping of passengers by motorists, activities of hawkers, traders in all the markets combine to deface Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas of the state. The near absence of public enlightenment/education programmes to raise the awareness of residents on the health

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Idoniboye-Obu implications of indiscriminate refuse disposing/dumping, coupled with the non-performance of sanitary inspectors adds to the problem of solid waste management in Rivers State.

The above are the problems that will be interrogated in this study with a view to making recommendations that will likely assuage the problems.

1.3. Objectives of the Study and Research Questions

The objective of this this paper is to assess the waste management system in these areas with a view to evaluating its effectiveness within the period under review.

Research Questions

1. How effective is the waste management system in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas?

2. What are the factors hindering the effective waste management in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas.

1.4. Significance of the Study

There are three areas in which this study will be significant. First, it will form a research material for scholars and students to update their knowledge and understanding of solid waste generation and management. Secondly, it may be beneficial for the formulation or review of waste management policies at all levels of government with a view to avoiding pitfalls at the implementation stage. Also, the study may be useful for service providers in solid waste management industry to learn new ways of managing refuse from the points of collection to the areas they are finally disposed of.

2. Literature Review

There is wide agreement in the literature that solid waste management (SWM) entails the collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal of solid materials which have “no immediate use for a generator,” i.e. served the purpose for which they were acquired or are no longer useful to their owner as well as the regulation and monitoring of the waste management process. However, scholars differ in interest and emphasis.

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Assessment of Solid Waste Management System in Rivers State: A Study of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor …

Babayemi and Dauda (2009) focus on the generation, categorization, and disposal of solid waste in Nigeria’s urban centres. They argue that the major generators of solid waste are households, local industries, artisans, agricultural and educational establishments, traders and other commercial activities. They found that households constitute the single most important generator of solid waste. They identify three main forms of solid waste namely: refuse, garbage, and sludge and the main types of solid waste as “paper, nylon, wood, dust, cloth, metal scraps, electronic gadgets, bottles, food remnants and vegetables; sawdust, ashes, rubber, bones and plastics” (Babayemi and Dauda, 2009, p.85). They are particularly concerned about the rapid increase in the rate and volume of solid waste generation in the country.

Okoli, Egobueze and Briggs, (2020) regard solid waste management as a global issue which has also become the most pressing environmental challenge faced by urban and rural areas of Nigeria, and that every government in the 21st century has shown uncommon commitment to tackle the menace of solid waste. They also observed that most states of the federation see waste management from the social service viewpoint, for which they spend huge sums of their revenue rather than turn it into an employment and revenue generation opportunity.

Chadar and Keerti (2017, p.0041) see waste as “materials that are not needed, and are not usable economically with further processing.” They hold over population, urbanization, affluence, and technology responsible for the growing increase in solid waste pollution. They classify solid waste into “domestic, industrial, commercial, clinical, construction, nuclear, and agricultural” by generator or source. They recognize efforts being made to reduce pollution but argued the need to get rid of solid waste after analysing their harmful effects. This study agrees with Chardar and Keerti, because these non-biodegradable materials constitute a major challenge in waste management as they shore up in the streets of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas, especially after the rains.

For Nwufo (2010) studied the legal and institutional frameworks in place in Nigeria to regulate and tackle the challenges of solid waste management in the country, and recommended wholesome reform of the institutional framework not only for solid waste management but the entire environmental sector. The scholar disclosed some environmental laws that exist at the federal level and these include the Environmental Impact Assessment Decree of 1992, the Harmful Waste (Special Criminal Provision, etc.) Act of 1988 and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) Act of 1988, among others. The later was the fulcrum upon which

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Idoniboye-Obu the moribund FEPA was established in 1988, the activities of which have been taken over by the Federal Ministry of Environment since 1999.

In the view of Ebeku (2003, p.72), there is a synergy between a healthy environment and the right to life of the citizens. He explained the maintenance and protection of man’s physical environment is the fundamental human rights of the citizens. According to him, tribunals have held that failure of government to preserve environmental quality was a violation of the fundamental right to life and that the right to life is not limited to the protection against arbitrary killing, but that the right to life is in many ways dependent on the preservation and protection of the citizen’s environment.

Given that the power to protect and regulate the environment is in the concurrent list of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (As Amended), Rivers State and its local governments have made and created agencies to tackle environmental challenges. Okoli, Egobueze and Briggs (2020), submit that by law the Rivers State Environmental Sanitation Authority was created in 1983, and due to infectiveness it was disbanded and replaced with the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) in 2014 (See RIWAMA Law No. 2 of 2014). Worika and Etemire (2020) states that other local government areas in the state including Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor replicated this effort by making bylaws and creating environmental task forces. Irrespective of numerous legislations, policies and programme, Worika and Etemire concluded that solid waste management in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor has continued to be a nagging problem.

From the above review, there appear not to be enough literature advocating for improved waste management practices in Rivers State. This is the gap which this study seeks to cover.

3. Theoretical Framework

A theory is an idea used to account for a situation or justify a course of action. In relation to this, Akintunde, (2017, p.120) is of the view that “Theories are developed to explain, predict, and enhance the understanding of phenomena. Theories challenge and extend the frontiers of knowledge within the boundaries of critical bounding assumptions.” Many theories and models have been advanced to gain understanding of the why and how of environmental pollution that creates the need for solid waste management. According to Akintunde (2017) these include the theory of Environmentally Responsible Behaviour (ERB) proposed by Hines, Hungerford and Tomera (1987), Reasoned/Responsible Action Theory, Theory of Planned

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Behavior, The Environmental Citizenship Model, Model of Human Interaction with the Environment, the Value-Belief-Norm Theory of Environmentalism, Diffusion of Innovation Model, Health Belief Theory. This paper frames its arguments based on Environmentally Responsible Behaviour (ERB) and Environmental Citizenship Model (ECM) . According to Bamberg and Moser (2007, p. 14), Hines et al (1987) set out “to identify variables reliably associated with pro-environmental behaviour, but also to determine quantitatively the strengths of these relationships.” The factors they identified relate to personality comprising attitudes, locus of control, and personal responsibility; knowledge of environmental issues and knowledge of actions and strategies required to tackle them as well as the skill set needed to take those actions which interact to produce an intention to act. Situational factors in turn interact with intention to act to produce environmentally responsible behaviour (Hines et al, 1987, pp. 6-8).

ERB is characterized by a combination of self interest and concern for other people, species, or ecosystems which include general actions like talking with others about environmental issues, encouraging family and friends to behave in environmentally responsible ways. For Thogersen (2006, pp. 254-255); Vaske and Kobrin (2001, P. 523), there are also required specific actions as recycling; purchasing environmentally friendly and sustainable goods; conservation of energy by turning off lights and using alternate sources of energy, such as solar, hydro, or wind energy; and reduction in fossil fuel dependence by utilizing alternative means of transportation.

ERB focuses on the behaviour of the waste generator and herein lies its relevance to waste management in Rivers State. ERB describes and explains the behaviour of waste generators in terms of the personality of the waste generator, their knowledge of the environment and how to engage with environmental problems, the skill set available to them to engage with environmental pollution, and the situational factors bearing on them. According to Akintunde (2017, p.122) “the theory concentrates more on existing interactions between parameters that influence a person’s behaviour than on the singular impact of a single variable.” Since the work of the waste manager is a response to the behaviour of the waste generator, this theory not only helps us to describe and explain the behaviour of the waste generator but also that of the waste manager. ERB is complemented by the Environmental Citizenship Model (ECM).

The ECM identifies three sets of variables in solid waste management research as follows:

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Entry-level variables—such as general sensitivity to and knowledge of the environment

Ownership variables—including in-depth knowledge, personal commitment, and resolve

Empowerment variables—such as action skills, locus of control, and intention to act (Akintunde, 2017, p. 127).

According to Akintunde (2017, p.127), the importance of ECM lies in “its potential to evolve a citizenry that is touched with the feelings of the environment, who will bear its burdens to the extent of possessing skills that can enable them act in the interest of the environment.”

4. Methodology

The study adopted the qualitative research approach using both primary and secondary sources of data obtained from one-on-one interactions, telephone interviews, government publications, journals and the internet. The observatory method of research was adopted to confirm some information revealed by the social media. The method of content analysis was utilized to analyze the data obtained.

5. Discussions and Findings

Description of Waste Management System in Rivers State

At the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) it was found that residents of Rivers State, especially in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas are made to bag their wastes and dump in receptacles provided at collection points. The agency adopts the conventional method of waste management which focuses mainly on waste collection, treatment (composting and incineration) and disposal into burrow pits or low lands to fill them up. These activities are carried out by refuse contractors engaged by the agency who, in the discharge of their contractual obligations, hire trucks and personnel equipped with manual tools like shovels, forks and baskets. While some personnel pack the refuse into baskets, others lift the baskets and empty the refuse into the open trucks.

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Assessment of Solid Waste Management System in Rivers State: A Study of Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor …

In the contract, contractors are required to clear all the refuse from designated collection points assigned to them every Thursday of the week, between the hours of 7 and 10am. On special environmental sanitation days which occur on the last Saturday of each month, the Sole Administrator of the agency calls on all refuse collection contractors mandating them to clear refuse at areas assigned to them within a specified period.

To ensure that refuse contractors discharge their contractual obligations, or as otherwise mandated, the waste management agency sets up teams called “planters” and post them to strategic locations to monitor how contractors collect and dispose refuse. The planters instantly report to the agency any contractor who fails to meet up with the schedule or the mandate described above. In the circumstance, the agency will immediately deploy its own resources to clear the area in default and penalize the defaulting contractor accordingly.

Critique of the Conventional Waste Management System

The conventional waste management system of RIWAMA has been criticized for many reasons. First, the manual collection and disposal of solid waste in the areas studied is against the international best practice of waste management. Ikebude (2017, p. 276–281) said that the landfill method of waste disposal is not being efficient and below standard. Secondly, the current practice of collection and disposal of refuse once a week (i.e. Thursdays, between 7 and 10 am) is found to be grossly inadequate. For instance, Ayotamuno & Akuro (2014) submitted that between 2011 and 2014 collection of refuse at various areas of Port Harcourt was done daily from 6.00 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. Also what is seen as waste management in River State is the collection of unsorted municipal refuse from sources of generation and subsequent transportation to final disposal dump sites. Another deficiency with RIWAMA’s waste management system are the issues with the dumpsites. While environmental experts subscribe that there ought to be at least 5 dumpsites to cover Port Harcourt and Obio/Apor areas of Rivers State, only two were found at Aluu, Airport Road and in Eleme. Also, there is no indication that the refuse is treated at the dump sites, except that they were burnt during the dry season. This system is against internationally approved environmental standard as it causes groundwater and air pollutions.

The study also found that in place of the conventional method of waste management in the developing countries, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), the Division of Technology, Industry and Economics (DTIE) and the International Environmental Technology

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Centre (IETC) have jointly developed an integrated solid waste management (ISWM) system based on “3R” model of refuse management which are, reduce, reuse and recycle (Peprah, Twumasi and Thomas, 2015). The system is a comprehensive waste prevention, re-cycling, composting, and disposal programme. It emphasizes strategic approach to sustainable management of solid wastes covering all sources and all aspects of waste generation, segregation, transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery and disposal in an integrated manner with emphasis on maximizing resource use for efficiency.

Elements of the “3R” Model in Rivers State

The reuse and recycle elements of the model appear to be playing out in the areas studied. For instance, in some of the dumpsites, scavengers were found picking trash which they intend to exchange for cash. One of the respondents, Kanayo Ugwu was a scavenger found in Airport Road dumpsite. He said that he picks trashes like discarded household items (fans, fridges), metals, plastic and aluminum materials from refuse dumps and makes about N5,000 a day. It was observed that local recyclers from Aba buy off these materials from the scavengers at low prices and convert them to reusable products, especially pots, local burners and cookware before they are sold. This means that while refuse dumps could be offensive for some residents, it provides an opportunity to make ends meet for some jobless youths who have determined to turn junks to money spinning resource. Given the argument that the activities of scavengers and local recyclers significantly reduce the size of dump sites, social scientists suggest the need to establish a refuse recycling factory in Rivers State to provide jobs for unskilled residents.

How Effective is the Waste Management System in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas?

As could be seen from the critique, despite the procedure put in place by RIWAMA to ensure value for money spent on clearing solid waste in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor local government areas of the State, findings suggest that the operation of the current waste management in the State appears clumsy and might have led to weakening the system in the following areas discussed below.

Landfill and Uncovered Refuse Trucks

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The landfill method of waste disposal has already been identified by Ikebude (2017) as not being efficient and below standard. Unfortunately, this ugly practice obtains in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas. Another sloppy and shoddy practice is that solid wastes being moved from the points of collection to dumpsites, are not properly covered in trucks as some of the rubbish litter the street on the way, making the city unkempt after clean up exercises. It was also observed that the only method adopted for the treatment of waste is by burning which falls below the world’s best practice. This is because solid wastes are left on dumpsites for long periods during the rains before they are burnt in dry season. The implication of this are in two folds. First waste dumped on the ground over a long period may likely leech out chemicals into the soil, contaminating it and pose great danger to plants, animals and even residents around the area (Gorilla Bins, 2015). Secondly, the study agrees with argument by Gorilla Bins that open air burning of refuse does not only cause air pollution, but can release toxic substances into the air that can cause acid rain.

Inadequate Dumpsites

Inadequate dumpsites was identified as a contributory factor for the ineffective solid waste management in Rivers State. For instance one of the respondents, who is also a refuse collecting contractor with RIWAMA, said that only two dumpsites were currently available for the dumping of refuse collected across four local government areas of Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor, Eleme and Ikwerre. Environmental experts state that a minimum of 5 dumpsites is required to cover cosmopolitan areas like Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor (Ayotamuno & Akuro, 2014). A visit to the dumpsites at Aluu (along the Airport Road) and Eleme revealed that the link roads to the sites are not maintained and have caused refuse trucks to sink during rainy season. Consequently, trucks delay to return to clear all the refuse at collection points, some of which wash back into the drains, causing blockade during the rains. Flooding in Port Harcourt city and Obio/Akpor areas of the state in recent times has been linked to blocked drains.

No Clear Targets Set for Contractors

At RIWAMA, it was observed that there is no clear target set for refuse contractors to clear solid waste in the areas studied. The use of ‘planters’ as a guide to ensure that contractors clear wastes at the time prescribed has been described by environmental regulators as unprofessional as it could be used as a witch-hunting tool against service providers. Target

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Idoniboye-Obu setting in organizations helps to make its priorities clear for everyone involved in such organization. According to Edkent Media (2017), the purpose of target setting is to show employees and service providers what they need to focus on within a set period. It emphasizes SMART (i.e. the target set must be specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely). On this account, it could be argued that the success, growth and relevance of an organization like RIWAMA largely depends on the understanding of its priorities by its employees and other stakeholders. For instance, the priority for setting up RIWAMA was to ensure a clean state. Rather than focus on this, it is observed that staff and refuse contractors of the agency pay more attention on what they can gain from assignments they handle and this arguably might have contributed to its inefficiency.

Irregular Observation of the Monthly Environmental Sanitation Exercise

The study found that a monthly environmental sanitation exercise was strictly observed by all Nigerians from 1983 when the campaign was launched by the military till the late 1990s when civilian government took over. The campaign was in response to the disgusting physical conditions of many Nigerian cities occasioned by the indiscriminate dumping of solid wastes (Faniran, Afon and Dada, 2017). By this campaign Nigerians were compelled by the federal government to clean their environment and drainages on the last Saturday of every month between the hours of 7.00am and 10.00am. The campaign was a huge success for over a decade and there was a near total compliance by everyone. As the campaign dwindled with the advent of the 2nd Republic in 1999, Rivers State Government continued with the drive until 2015 when the programme began to suffer neglect. It is observed that monthly sanitation exercise hardly holds on the last Saturday of the month due to cancellations for political activities or state functions.

From the above, it is clear that the conventional system of solid waste management in Rivers State is not effective. This calls for the need to explore the integrated solid waste management system (ISWMS) to solve the problems of waste management in Port Harcourt metropolis.

Hinderances to Effective Solid Waste Management in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas.

Wrong Perception of Refuse Disposal as a Government’s Social Service Programme

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One major factor found to be hindering the effective waste management in Rivers State is the wrong perception by residents that solid waste management is a social service that must be rendered by the government. The implication of this is that the people do not take any responsibility to restrain themselves from indiscriminate dumping of refuse or proactively clean up and maintain their environment without force. For instance, findings reveal that on environmental sanitation days, rather than come out to clean their environment and clear their drainage, most people prefer to hold family and church meetings while some youths practice football on the streets they are meant to clean. Residents are found to litter the streets arbitrarily and dump refuse inside drains irrespective of the prevailing laws against such. For instance, in some areas where sanitation bins are provided on the streets, it is observed that many residents are not conscious of their use as they drop the packs of whatever they eat anywhere littering the streets in the process.

It is argued that the reason for this ugly attitude is that Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor residents are not made to pay for the refuse they generate; otherwise they will be conscious and environmental friendly. This argument appears to be true because RIWAMA operation personnel confirm that residents attack them whenever they go for revenue drive.

Weak Enforcement of Sanitation Laws

It is found that the enforcement of environmental sanitation laws is very weak at the state and local government levels. For instance, in the law establishing RIWAMA, stall owners in the markets and street traders in Rivers State are meant to clean their areas of operation every Thursday, from 7am to 10am. Rather than comply with the law, traders now use the time as a rest period, and the state environmental sanitation agency is yet to enforce this aspect of the law. Also, there are no sanitary inspectors engaged to regularly check that residential and commercial premises are kept in adequately hygienic and healthy condition always. This was one of the practices in the early 1960s and late 1970s that made Port Harcourt the “garden city” of Nigeria. It is found that the problem might not be the absence of the requisite manpower to handle this all important social service, but that the thousands of environmental health specialists trained by the Rivers State College of Health Technology are underutilized.

Other factors hindering effective solid waste management in Rivers State include unprofessional operation of task force on environmental sanitation, near absence of education

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Idoniboye-Obu and enlightenment campaign on the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of solid waste, unskilled labour and poor work implements.

6. Conclusion and Recommendations

Managing waste properly is essential for building sustainable and livable cities, but it remains a challenge for many developing countries like Nigeria. Improper disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions and health challenges upon residents and can lead to degeneration and degradation of the aesthetic value of a city. Because of the importance attached to solid waste management, most governments in the world have adopted several methods to tackle the menace. In Rivers State, the government has come up with legal and institutional frameworks to confront the menace of solid waste disposal, especially in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor areas. The strategy adopted by the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) in this regard has not yielded the desired result as there are still solid wastes dumped indiscriminately; some collection points not cleared for some days - the two dumpsites identified remain untreated as well as continued flooding of major roads and streets during the rains.

Irrespective of the challenges of the environmental regulatory agencies in Rivers State, it is found that the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor has to do with the attitudinal problem of residents who boldly and purposefully dump refuse especially in drains as if it has no implications on community health and social welfare. To make Rivers State clean should be the responsibility of all, and not the government’s alone. This could be achieved, if the residents are made to take responsibility by not only obeying sanitation laws but helping to enforce the laws in their locality. It is hoped that the following recommendations will help to contain the environmental issues raised in the study.

The study recommends that:

1. There is need for the government to set up and enforce standards for adequate sanitary facilities for the disposal of human and other solid waste in dwellings.

2. The government should consider the establishment of monitoring stations for the control of the disposal of leachates from dump sites into surface and ground water systems.

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3. There is need for the commercialization of solid waste management by reintroducing and enforcing payment of environmental fees. This will enable residents own the responsibility of waste management and demand high quality service from regulators of the environment as well as refuse disposal agents. The collection of such fees should however be properly streamlined to prevent abuse of any sort.

4. Massive education and public enlightenment campaign on the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of waste should be launched and vigorously preached in all ethnic dialects in Rivers State.

5. The study is advocating for the reintroduction of sanitary inspectors to make residents adequately clean their environment. This might help to make sanitary professionals in the state to be more active.

6. The monthly environmental sanitation exercise should continue to hold unhindered every last Saturday of the month. To achieve this, government programmes and political activities should be scheduled to hold after the environmental sanitation exercise. The government should be firm to sanction any officer of government or politician who flouts the rules of the exercise.

7. The government should consider to officially adopt the “3R” Model of integrated solid waste management system (ISWMS) with a view to reduce, reuse and recycle solid wastes in the state.

8. Professionals should be hired to head relevant ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) involved in solid waste management.

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