RESTORING THE GREEN VERGE

How do we conscientiously reclaim our green verge areas in Port Harcourt and stop every stranger or passerby from setting up tables and umbrella in front of houses for that quick daily trade?

The truth is that something serious has to be done about this and no one should even mention Government to me on this matter. My question to you is what have we done to curb the menace. Are we not the same people who encourage them by stopping to purchase items from them? Are we not the serious bole woman’s customer? Have we ever stopped to wonder about the mountain of rubbish that woman alone brings on the street corner? I can confidently say that many of these people (roasters/traders) just cross the road and dump their refuse on the wayby for sanitation authority to pick-up. Using the Bole woman alone as an example for now but there are so many such traders that deface the “GARDEN CITY”.

Roadside traders everywhere

It is truly enraging but I believe we can do something. We must have some order in this city!!! Once upon a time many Bole Roasters conduct their trade near the rail line at D-line and other such designated areas and if one wanted Bole one would drive down there and purchase it. There was another joint at marine base where many women congregated as well. If we had Bole designated areas in this town we could go a long way to cleaning up the city of this menace and getting these people who just use the facilities Government has built without taking responsibility to the urban degradation. 

Who says road side traders including the Bole woman shouldn’t take responsibility for their actions or inactions in this city?  I think we should assign areas to certain types of trades in Port Harcourt. So we can restore order in the system and certainly help Government in curbing street trading that deface our roads. Many of us have travelled abroad and we have noticed also that people don’t just bring out their wares to set up camps in front of their homes to conduct business at the detriment of their neighbors. It is about time we each are made responsible for the looks of the green verge area around our houses. This way Port Harcourt would soon wear a better look if people are heavily fined where traders are4 found in front of their homes. Over hanging canopies, unsightly umbrellas, rusted suya stands would soon be a thing of the past. Anyone who is found outside these bole designated areas will be seriously dealt with. This will ensure that those offensive umbrellas defacing Port Harcourt will be taken away. Women starting up smoke early or late in the evening regardless of who or where their neighbors are should be stopped.

Please do not attack me on this because I have mentioned Bole it is an example the fact is I love bole but the gist is that we should have some order in the city. Those who love Bole like me should drive to Bole designated area and purchase them.

I know that we have mastered the art of sugar coating everything in Nigeria and many would want to zero down these comments to the Bole Sellers but it applies to all those who have left markets and have come out to the street namely: Aggrey, Bende, Victoria, Niger and Bonny street in Town and Rumuola roads, Ikwerre roads etc. they also are guilty of defacing our Garden City and should be made to leave those spaces to find markets and/or take shades in the beautiful market Government has built.

When Port Harcourt is googled, we should be able to immediately find places where to purchase different items. In twenty years time the next generation of children born into Port Harcourt would have a well choreographed culture of preservation of its environs. Port Harcourt is now like a city without walls tossed about by every wind of doctrine, styles and people. I believe that where there is a will there is a way. Let us begin this conversation on how to get Port Harcourt back to its Garden City Status, dust off its now soiled reputation as a beheaders joint and get investors back into our economy.

What the streets of Port Harcourt should look like

PROPOSED ACTION

1.  Do not allow anyone to set up their tables in front of your house. If u are the person selling in front of your house- stop forth with.

2.  Stop buying items displayed on the street and street corners except from kiosks properly designated.

3.  Environmental sanitation Agency should please wake up and see these issues as environmental hazards. A concerted and sustainable effort should be made to keep them off otherwise they come back the next hour. ( Consider contracting this assignment out) Since Civil Servants now do not consider it their work as no one gives job descriptions to Civil Servants anymore and they all want to stay in air conditioned offices.

4.  Ministry of Environment and Urban Planning should immediately start assigning designated areas for certain trades and enforcing them.

5.  Enforce no trading bans on all roads.

PLAIN TRUTH

1.  The Sanitation Authority should stand up to their responsibilities- going from house to house to inspect gutters and environs.

2.  Government cannot do everything for the people. We have to take some responsibility for our places of residence while Government tackles the major roads.



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