Some shop owners at the JDP Round About at Abuloma community in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area have lost property following attacks by unknown hoodlums.
One of the landlords from Abuloma community, Akpaka Ajimofor alleged that some youths from a neighbouring community invaded the area and demanded money from the shop owners.
Ajimofor said the youths burnt down the shops, and also used bottles and dagger to cut him when he intervened.
Some of the affected shop owners who spoke to newsmen said the hoodlums came in their numbers to their shops demanding money and to know the persons who gave them the shops.
They said bottles were thrown into their shops and that they were beaten by the youths.
“We were in the shop when the youths came, they entered our shop demanding that who authorised us to stay here.
“We told them it was our landlords, they ask for money but we refused to give them.
“In that process they threw bottles into our shop, beat up our master and burnt the shops. We put off the first fire, when they saw that we have put off the fire, they came back the second time with fuel and matches and burnt the shops the second time and they chased us with bottle and dagger.
“We could not put off the fire again, so many things got burnt, my oga’s money, the scrap metal he just bought for festive period, and other things from our neighbour”, one of the victims said.
Meanwhile, the paramount ruler of Abuloma Community, King Bright Ateke-Fiboinomama has condoled with shop owners affected by the fire incident at Okuru junction by JDP Round About.
The monarch, who visited the site directed the Okuru Youth President and the Divisional Police Officer in the area to arrest and prosecute all the youths involved to avoid further occurrence.
He maintained that Okuru and Abuloma people are brothers as all issues will be resolved.
Also, the Youth President of Abuloma community, Patrick Seminibika said the problem was between the landlords of the shops and Okuru people, not a boundary issue.

A traditional ruler in the State and Head of Chief Saturday Jaja War Canoe House, in King Jaja Group of Houses, Opobo Town, Chief Reuben Jaja, has condemned those he described as sycophants and greedy who manipulate African leaders into despotism.
Speaking with journalists recently in Port Harcourt, Jaja explained that sycophants deceive totalitarian leaders like the Late Head of State, General Sani Abacha to believe that they were popular instead of notorious.
He quoted the former Prime Minister of Britain, Mrs Margaret Thatcher as having referred to the late Sani Abacha as lunatic following the alleged killing of people during his reign.
Chief Jaja attributed the problem of Africa to poor leadership, greed, incompetence and extra : African problems usually inflicted on Africa by foreign countries
He, however, did not agree that the entire problems of Nigerian economy were based on Sani Abacha’s policy of Africanising the nation’s economy which sent out over 70,000 foreigners from Nigeria.
Chief Jaja, an international economist, was of the view that the new partnership for african development was the only competent body to properly address African problems.
On the future of Nigeria, Chief Jaja said that peace was beyond the absence of military hostilities to include food security and reconstruction of social institutions that would cater for the interest of the citizenry.
He further called on President Muhammadu Buhari, the 36 state governors, national and state lawmakers, as well as, the entire Nigerins to make the country conducive for development.
According to him, “without genuine leadership mindset of our leaders, it will be difficult to build better bridges of acceptable development in Nigeria for peace, unity and stability to thrive”.
Chief Jaja, who doubled as Chairman of BFI Group also admonished Nigerian leaders to create an enabling environment, where the people can be encouraged through employment, skills training and other needed incentives that can quell the current heat of insecurity.
He used the opportunity to enjoin all the warring sections in the country to shelve their agitations and give the government more time to address their grievances for peace to reign.

By: Bethel Toby

As part of moves to checkmate unnecessary incidences of building collapse in the state, the State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development says plans have been concluded to carry out independent structural evaluation on houses that are above two storey buildings in the State.
The state Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Mr. Austen Ben Chioma made the disclosure when members of Nigeria Institute of Builders paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Port Harcourt.
Mr Chioma also said that a monitoring team from the ministry made up of professionals had been going round to ensure that builders complied with laid down building standards as provided by the state ministry of urban development.
He however, regretted that most land developers did not comply with basic structural requirements like the EIS, SAR&P and soil tests which are meant to determine the soil’s ability to carry a particular building in a given area.
The commissioner said that as much as the government had taken into consideration the present harsh economic realities of the day, the right thing must always be done to safeguard lives and property.
Mr Chioma noted that builders who run foul of the ministry’s laid down procedures on property development would be made to pay contravention fees adding that the fees are not meant to discourage people from owning and building houses but to ensure that standards are strictly adhered to.
The commissioner gave assurances of tapping from the expertise of members of the organisation of institute of builders in carrying out their responsibilities in the areas of monitoring and evaluation.
Earlier, Chairman of the Nigeria Institute of Builders, Bldr Ugo Ohuabunwa said that in complying with building standards, the builders document which is the quality control document of the site, the safety and work plan must be incorporated to make improvement at controlling members of the body and also training of artisans while also sensitising land developers in relevant areas.
He said that the body was ready to work in synergy with the ministry by not only providing skilled manpower but also offering professional guidance, where necessary, adding that, quacks had been the bane of building collapse in the society.

By: Enoch Epelle