Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has promised to relocate the popular Obiri-Ikwere dumpsite located along the Airport Road.
Gov. Fubara, who spoke on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 after inspection of the new area being prepared at Omueke-Igwuruta in Ikwerre Local Government Area as an alternative permanent borrow pit, said the one at Airport Road poses serious environmental hazards.
Giving further reasons, he said: “We are already phasing out the Airport Obiri-Ikwere road dumpsite because of the environmental hazards it poses.
He emphasised that the odour at the place and being the entrance to the State, are reasons for preparing an alternative place to serve as a permanent dumpsite for the management of waste in the State.
Gov. Fubara who was accompanied on the inspection by the Chairman of the Board of Rivers State Waste Management Agency, RIWAMA, Dr. Samuel Nwanosike, noted that his administration inherited the project for an alternative dumpsite and vowed to complete it adding that he came to see the level of ongoing work in the area.
The governor said: “We haven’t concluded on the issue of the borrow pit, but the access road, the government is already doing something about it. So, we will do our best to ensure that everything that needs to be done for the government to own this pit would be done”.
He called for the support of the community Chief for the project and commended the management of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency (RIWAMA) for its efforts towards environmental waste management.
Meanwhile the governor made a stop over at the ongoing construction of 29 units of 4-bedroom duplexes for Permanent Secretaries at Elimgbu, in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area, and expressed satisfaction with the level of work at the site after inspection alongside with the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Works, Mr. Austin Ezekiel Hart.