Rivers Insists On Demolishing Slums In PH

The Rivers Government has reiterated its resolve to further demolish shanties and slums in the state capital, Port Harcourt.

The Commissioner for Urban Development, Mr Tammy Danagogo, told newsmen in Port Harcourt recently that the slums and illegal structures were security challenges in the state.

The Commissioner’s statement came against the backdrop of a report by Amnesty International, which on October 20, said the state government had not followed the UN stipulated procedures on demolition of waterfronts and shanties.

Our correspondent reports that this is coming two years after the demolition of the Njemanze and Abonnema waterfronts by the present administration.

The Amnesty International had urged the state government to engage the people of the waterfronts in the process of negotiation and compensation, but the state government is bent on concluding the exercise it had started.

Danagogo said that government intended to sand-fill the affected waterfronts and would partner investors under a private-public partnership arrangement to develop the areas.

“The development process entails the provision of housing, roads and other social amenities that will substantially improve the lots of the people.”

Danagogo assured the affected citizens that government would embark on the demolition only when negotiations and compensation had been reached.

According to him, government has approved a new development control, enforcement and monitoring scheme that would ensure effective development control in all urban centres in the state.