PENSION GOVERNOR [EMPEROR] Amaechi Has Pushed Us Into Terrible Hardship [Stakeholder Democracy Network, SDN ] From National Point Newspaper: To many of the displaced residents of Njemanze community demolished by Governor Rotimi Amaechi to pave way for Silverbird Cinema Centre, life after the forceful displacement has been a harrowing experience. Reliving their post-eviction experience s during a press conference organised at Abonnema Wharf community by a non-governmental organisation, Stakeholder Democracy Network, SDN in conjunction with Social Action represented by Celestine Akpobari, spokespersons from the affected community lamented that they have been pushed into unimaginable suffering by the government which does not take the feeling of the poor into consideration while carrying out its demolition programmes. The people were thrown out of their shelter and sources of livelihood, without any alternative. Njemanze was demolished on August 28, 2009, in the peak of the rainy season. Tulu Kama and other officials of the Njemamze Waterfront Displaced Tenants lamented that “after the eviction, most of the displaced tenants were not having money to rent rooms, about 90percent of us are sleeping in churches, uncompleted buildings, motor parks and in parked or abandoned vehicles along the roads”. They lamented that some of them are being hunted by security operatives for sleeping at odd places and are arrested on a daily basis. “Those arrested only regain their freedom on payment of money to the Police, while those unable to pay end up in long detention and sometimes in prison”, they added, appealing to the international community to come to their aid, especially now that the rainy season has returned. “We are appealing to the international community to come to our aid because, we have no shelter. Our children are no longer going to school and we are no longer doing our normal fishing”, the Njemanze displaced persons stated. Datubo West, one of the displaced residents was struggling to withhold tears when reeling out the woes which Governor Amaechi brought on him by destroying the community. Prior to the demolition, Datubo had a flourishing business which was giving him over N40,00 as profit on daily basis. He was buying and selling drinks on whole sale basis and was living happily with his family. He disclosed that he spent over N300,000 to work on his rented apartment at Njemanze, which put it under habitable condition. But when Governor Amaechis bulldozers came, it demolished the building as well as his flourishing business. Although his landlord promised to give him N100,000, the landlord disappeared as soon as he collected some money from the government to support the demolition. The August 29 2009 destruction of Njemanze, shattered his life, turning him into a hopeless person. The two rooms he rented at Abonemma Wharf community after the forced eviction has expired and he has no money to renew the rent. His daughter schooling at Abia State University has been forced to discontinue with her education, while his second daughter just got admission into another university, but there is no hope for her as there is no money. “Where will the money come from?”, he asked amidst tears. Continuing, he said that he has no source of livelihood again, but only scouts for menial jobs, while his wife works as a cleaner, leaving a little girl at home for the man to look after while she goes to work. “Right now, I am doing nothing; I have been living on the little I saved. I go for menial jobs to survive. My wife now works as a cleaner to sustain the family, while I baby sit when she goes to work.” But while the displaced residents wallow in penury, the state has continued to intensify threats to demolish other waterfront communities. Among the communities is Abonnema Wharf community, which, according to Tom George, PRO of Abonnema Wharf Community house owners Association, situated on a 655 by 321 square metres land, and is occupied by low and middle income earners of mostly fishermen, boat builders, traders and civil servants among others. “The community under threat of demolition is targeted to affect approximately over 9000 families, or 63,000 people, of whom 36,000 are children, 20,000 women and 19000 men. Jim George further disclosed that the demolition will uproot 62 commercial /residential houses along the road, 750 residential houses at the water front, 2 standard hotels, including a hotel belonging to the late Marshall Harry, 1 filling station, a private maternity home, 2 open markets, 17 churches of different denominations, with their nursery and primary schools, privately owned schools, 4 mechanic, 3 wielding and 5 carpentry workshops, all, within Abonnema Wharf community. “At least, 26,000 pupils and students would be forced to terminate their education, a flagrant violation of their right to education”, he lamented, adding that the government is bound by law to protect, respect and safeguard peoples rights, rather than violating them with impunity. “Housing is the right of the people, and forceful acquisition of such houses for demolition is a violation of our right. We will resist any plan by the government to compel us to surrender our community to it for demolition as no amount of monetary compensation will be enough for the destruction of our traditional ways of livelihood and disruption of childrens education.”` Stakeholder Democracy Network and Social Action, in their presentation made on behalf of the groups by Paulinus Okoro, human rights staff of SDN, noted that since the demolition and threats of demolition started, appeals have been made to the Rivers State government to spare the residents of the waterfront communities of avoidable misery by following due process in its urban renewal programme. “These appeals have taken different forms, letters from the communities, representations to the government by the communities and NGOs, both local and international, protest marches, and suits in courts, Paulinus Okoro disclosed.” But rather than the appeals dissuading the government from embarking on the planned demolition, it has continued to intensify the threats to demolish the communities. The groups noted that the government has embarked on orchestrated propaganda through bill boards, radio and TV adverts, and drama sketches, sponsored articles in newspapers, all designed to confuse the public. “The present strategy has raised fears that any moment from now, Port Harcourt , the Rivers State capital, will be witnessing yet another round of demolition of residential houses in Abonnema Wharf and adjoining waterfront communities and houses up to the Education bus stop on Ikwerre road”, the groups noted, adding that “by this, the government continues to create chaos by increasing homelessness, unemployment, and disrupting access to school, health, and other services just to create space for Silverbird Showtime project, a stand-alone 8- screen cinema with several related commercial developments under the guise of development through public-private partnership, which requires that all settlements located within 2km radius from the Silverbird Showtime to undergo a renewal.” The group noted that the government is poised to demolish homes, schools, churches, mosques, businesses and clinics within the 2km radius, which will ultimately lead to the displacement of about 200,000 residents from their homes and businesses. Among this population are some of the displaced Njemanze residents who have taken refuge within the Abonnema Wharf community in the wake of the demolition of Njemanze. “A worrisome dimension of the demolitions is that the Rivers state Government while paying some landlords, did not pay compensation to the tenants neither did they comply with the relevant provisions of the Land Use Act regarding the revocation of a right of occupancy and payment of compensation. Instead the government opted to forcibly buyout property from their respective owners even when they are not willing to sell, as against land acquisition through a revocation order for overriding public purposes, as entrenched in the Land Use Act 1978, ” the group noted, adding that “Any holder of a right of occupancy, whether evidenced or yet to be evidenced by a certificate of occupancy, holds that right as long as it is not revoked. Revocation in this instance is the one done in accordance with the law, as nobody will lose his right of occupancy by revocation without his being notified first in writing. Any other method may be a mere declaration of intent; it will never be a notice of revocation. It will be a nullity.” The people of the waterfront communities insist that human rights are their property and that housing right is their fundamental human right. Although they want development, it must be done with their blood. They urged the government to give them alternative accommodation as done In Finima, Bonny or embark on In situ development, whereby development will be going on while the people continue to live there, develop alternative cities to decongest Port Harcourt. They further urged the government to stop the forced evictions and the destruction of family life, but should treat the people like human beings. They maintained that they are not ready to offer their communities for destruction as the communities are their common heritage. Celestine Akpobari encouraged the affected people to remain united and steadfast, saying that as long as they remain united against the state, their future and their communities would be safeguarded. stakeholderdemocracy.org/cgblog/207/89/Amaechi-Has-Pushed-Us-Into-Terrible-Hardship.html
Posted on: Tue, 10 Jun 2014 07:10:41 +0000
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