Iloabuchi demolition: ‘I no get where I wan go with my pikins’, mama of 4 lament

Ndifreke Kassim Jafari

BBC
Ndifreke Kassim Jafari say dem stay for about four months for dia house before di demolition come dey happen so dem no get money to go rent anoda house.

”I no get any wia to go with my children naim make we dey live here”

Dis na wetin 32 year-old Ndifreke Kassim Jafari tok with her four months old pikin for hand and three oda children wey accordging to her bin dey sleep outside for di open road for Abba Street Mile one diobu, Port Harcourt after di Rivers State Goment demolish dia house for Abba waterfront.

She, like oda residents dey sleep inside one church premises afta one heavy rainfall beat dem as dem dey outside- di rain also soak all dia property.

Na di situation thousands of pipo wey dey stay for Elechi Beach, Nanka, Abba, Urualla, Egede, Akokwa, Afikpo and Akwuzu waterfront communities along di Iloabuchi road dey face.

Ndifreke Kassim Jafari say dem don stay for about four months for dia house before di demolition come dey happen so dem no get money to go rent anoda house.

“I no dey comfortable as I dey here with di children becos all of dem dey sick. Cold don enter dia body but money no dey to go rent anoda house.

“For over one week now wey dem demolish our house, my children never go school. Evritin just scatter I no know wia dia uniform dey sef and no food for dem to chop go school, so na so we dey. We need help.” she tok.

Why Rivers State Goment dey demolish houses for waterfront?

For 1st January, 2022, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike for im 2022 new year message say dem go continue with di demolition of shanties for some identified crime hot-spots for Port Harcourt Township and Iloabuchi area of Diobu, from di second week of January to make di State safer.

For September, 2021, di State Goment bin don demolish shanties for Nkpogu waterfront because dem receive security report of criminal activities wey dey go on for some of di waterfront areas.

For 29th January, 2022 di demolition exercise begin from Elechi Beach waterfront and e don continue to Ojike waterside, Urualla, Abba up to Egede waterside and thousands of pipo dey displaced.

Waterfront residents do ‘Black Wednesday demonstration’

On 26 January 2022, residents for di waterfronts from Elechi Beach to Soku waterfront do “Black Wednesday” demonstration against forced eviction wey come at di end of di seven-day notice Goment give di waterfront dwellers to pack comot.

One of di waterfront resident, Mary Prince tell BBC Pidgin say on 19 January 2022, some pesins come with security agents come mark some houses and post seven-day notice of eviction wey expire dat Wednesday so dem do di demonstration to remember victims of forced eviction.

She say many of dem don live for di waterfronts all dia lives; some for over 40 years, so dem no go fit just pack comot under seven days.

”We dey beg di State Goment to reconsider dis demolition as di threat dey put fear for some of di elderly ones body and e dey make dem sick.” She tok.

Iloabuchi demolition

BBC
One resident tok say many of dem don live for di waterfronts all dia lives; some for over 40 years, so dem no go fit just pack comot under seven days.

‘Dis demolition exercise dey inhuman’

Some pesins don criticise di demolition exercise say e no good.

Former Director General of Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency NIMASA and former governorship candidate for Rivers State under di All Progressives Congress APC, Dakuku Peterside say dis na attempt for di Governor to take personal ownership of di waterfront and add say,

“di forceful ejection of over 100,000 poor and vulnerable Rivers residents from dia waterfront homes dey wicked and inhuman, as dem no give lawful quit notice or pay any compensation.”

Rivers State Goment say di demolition na to pursue criminals comot for di State by demolishing all di identified criminal hideouts and flash points along Iloabuchi waterfronts

BBC
Rivers State Goment say di demolition na to pursue criminals comot for di State by demolishing all di identified criminal hideouts and flash points along Iloabuchi waterfronts

Peterside for statement say di action dey against all universal laws and conventions on human rights and habitation, including di United Nations Human Settlement Programme, UN-Habitat, United Nations Housing Rights Programme, di 1948 Universal Declaration on Human Rights, di 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Nigeria Policy on Housing as shelter na right wey dey fundamental to di survival and health of man.

‘Di demolition of shanties dey backed by law’ – Goment

But di Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Paulinus Nsirim react to di criticism say e no be so as dis “na effort of di State Goment to sanitise di waterfronts by removing all shanties and most especially to continue di war to pursue dangerous criminals wey don transform dis waterfronts into den of thieves.”

Di Commissioner for Information observe say di demolition of waterfront to comot criminals for di State no start with dis administration because for 2012 during di administration of former Governor Chibuike Amaechi wey Dakuku Peterside bin be part of di goment, di State Goment bin demolish Abonnema Wharf, Njemamze, Elechi Beach and Nanka waterfronts.

“To set di record straight,” Paulinus Nsirim say “di Governor clearly tok for im new year message say dem go build on di gains of di dislodgement exercise to demolish all shanties and makeshift structures for identified crime hotspots for Port Harcourt Township and di Iloabuchi area of Diobu.”

E add say, “for August 2015, di State Goment sign into law di Anti-kidnapping Bill wey dem later amend for 2018 and dis law give di authority to move in and destroy everything wey go aid and promote criminality for di State, including residences and hideouts.”

Nsirim add say di goment don deploy action plan to destroy criminal hideouts, shanties and makeshift structures wey dey some notorious areas along Elele to Ahoada expanse of di East-West Road, Onne, Eleme and oda flashpoint areas.

Iloabuchi demolition

BBC

Di condition we see di pipo dey pitiable’

Seeing di bad situation wey di waterfront dwellers find demsefs, some young boys wey bin dey live for di waterfront areas before before, decide to give help to di pipo.

Saviour Shedrach wey bin dey live for Urualla waterfront but now dey live for Lagos tell BBC Pidgin say wen im come Port Harcourt for January come see di situation of di pipo, im tok to im friends and followers for social media and dem raise some money to help some of di waterfront dwellers wey wan go back to dia village.

For over one week, Shedrach and im friends don help charter buses wey don carry some of di residents go back to dia villages for Bayelsa, Ahoada, Akwa Ibom and Ogoni side in addition to di food dem dey bring for di pipo.Iloabuchi

Waterfront landlords carry Rivers State Goment to court; demand compensation

One Barika Nanee Nwideezua of Egede waterside along with 20 oda landlords from Abba, Akokwa, Urualla, Soku, Elechi Beach phases one and two waterfronts with Incorporated Trustees of Community Legal Support Initiative don sue di Rivers State Goment and Chief of Police for di State to court for di demolition of dia houses.

On Friday 11 February 2022 wen di case come up, di presiding judge, Justice Aprioku grant di amendment of di prayers of landlords for di State Goment to pay dem compensation for di demolition of dia houses.

E adjourn di case to 28 February 2022 for hearing.