Banana Farm: Rivers Begins Payment, Soon

The Rivers State Government says, it would soon commence the
second phase of the compensation to the landlords of Banana Plantation who have
yet been settled in Ogoniland.

The state government also promised to look into complaints
of some landlords of the plantation firm who denied that, they were short paid
by Mr Rowland Nzidee-led compensation committee of Luusue Sogho community in
Khana Local Government Area of the state.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Emmanuel Chinda
gave the assurance while addressing the people of Luusue Sogho community,
Wednesday, during a peaceful protest over the alleged denial of compensation by
the Rowland Nzidee-led Committee.

After requesting for the names of unpaid landlords of the
Banana Plaintation, the Commissioner advised the unpaid landlords to exercise
patience as government is doing everything possible to ensure they are paid
soon.

We are aware that some landlords are not yet paid. State
government is doing everything possible to ensure they are paid in the shortest
period.

We will also look into the complaints of those who said they
were not paid according to the number of plots acquired by the state
government, Chinda said.

He explained that the plantation firm was sited in the area
with the intention to address unemployment syndrome in the area, adding that
presently, over 300 indigenes of the state are on pay roll of the company,
advising that any hindrance to the firm would also affect the employment of the
people.

The people of Luusue Sogho in Knana Local Government had
staged a protest to Government House over the denial of compensation to the
land owners of the Banana plantation.

In a statement signed by the Chairman and the Secretary of
Luusue Sogho Original Landlords Association, Comrade. Barikpoa Serekara and Mr
Richard Eebee respectively, the people called on the government to review the
process of payment of the compensation to the land owners which involved the
Access Bank in Port Harcourt.

The statement also called on the state government to
investigate the Prince Roland Nzidee-led committee on the compensation, saying
that the whole process of the payments was fraudulent.

Some of the placards carried by the protesters read “Banana
plantation is commendable but compensation committee is fraudulent,
“acquisition without compensation is geonocide” among others.

Epelle Enoch