Property developers in Rumuekini area in Obio/Akpor Local Government area of Rivers State have raised alarm over the surge in touting activities of youths in the area which has made things difficult for land owners to build structures on their land.

 The Tide has gathered that some  youths in Rumuekini area have organised themselves into groups that go from one location to another in search of those undertaking or about to start laying foundation with the intent to extort money from  them, beyond the normal charges.

These youth groups it was gathered usually claim to be agents of representatives of either or both the local government council, Environmental Sanitation Authority and the state board of Internal Revenue, and with this they impose various amounts of money on their victims.

This scenario, The Tide gathered, has made things very difficult for intending plot developers to cope, which has resulted in some of them suspending or embarking on re-sale of their plots.

Narrating his ordeal to The Tide, one of the property developers who was recently  confronted by these touts, ThankGod Amadi, said that he paid the necessary fees to both the community and the other government agencies with receipt.

According to ThankGod, who is also a pastor, these groups of youths even when receipts of various payment made to various agencies of government are often  presented such are after ignored with the boys insisting on what must be paid again to them without which there will be no progress on the building project.

The worst and most annouying  thing according to him, is that about four different groups will come one after another to make demand for payment with a threat to pull down or seize every tools that will be used for work.

To this end, he said that he had to contact the joint Task Force (JTF) who came in to raid hide-out of these touts, and that such move enabled him to carry on his project.

Also, one of the doctors with the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) name withheld who wanted to start his project had it  put on hold for the same reasons after he had paid the sanitation, BIR and council, as well as settled with the community (both youth/CDC).

The medical practitioner wondered why things have turned out differently, as plot owners are made to pass through another set of huddles, even after paying the necessary fee to the community and the government agents.

Meanwhile, one of the youth leaders’ in Rumuekini Community, who is popularly known as young chief has said that the environmental sanitation and the council accredited some of the youths.

Colins Walter