Arresting Trespasses On Public Property

Rising cases of trespass on government
property by hoodlums across the coun
try have tended to raise fresh fears in the populace. This is more so because appropriate government officials have also failed to take the needed action to deter such trespassers.
Only recently, the Federal Government demolished some illegal settlements built on government land near Abuja. That was not the first time. Some states have also carried out similar actions, but the trend fails to abate. Sadly, many un-suspecting Nigerians go through some heart breaking experiences during such demolitions.
Incidentally, while society bears the brunt for such lawless acts, hoodlums who commandeer  government property, play the landlord, extort huge sums from home seeking  Nigerians, keep  tenants in danger and smile to the bank.
This, The Tide thinks has got to stop. Apart from the way it celebrates impunity in the country, such places always provide slum settlements with  their attendant dangers. The sanitation of such places are always poor, while it provides hideout for criminals, and market for hard drugs. How the filth from such settlements creep into the larger societies are best imagined.
But more worrisome is how the inaction of the authorities or the absence of sanctions emboldens other persons to illegally take over government property, especially un-completed estates. It has even gone some to the extent where top government officials are threatened for daring to ask questions on such property.
In Rivers State, the land space for the Port Harcourt Cemetery has been made smaller by persons who fenced off some portions for their private use. Similarly, the un-completed OMPADEC headquarters building, the Rivbank  Insurance building, among others have been taken over by squatters.
The Tide is shocked that even estates like the Orije and Oromenike Housing Estates in the D-Line area of Port Harcourt, for which government had collected money from allotees, have been taken over by face-less persons. It is also shameful to note that efforts by the authorities to eject the illegal occupants there have been frustrated for years.  In fact, two police men squatting at Oromenike estate actually threatened to shoot the officials if they failed to leave.
But at Iriebe, the officials were not that lucky as two persons were killed.  This cannot be happening in these days and times when the rule of law should be at its best.  That people don’t fear to forcefully take-over government land and housing projects is to say the least scandalous.  If this is not arrested now, even the on-going Rainbow Town Housing Project may not be spared.
It is believed that if governments complete and put to use every housing project as and when due, issues like this would not arise.  But the apparent lack of policy on the subject matter may be the crux of the problem.  Indeed, the failure of government officials, who should be custodians of these assets, to act is most unacceptable.
It is condemnable that some persons still think government property is nobody’s property.  If the lawless in the society think so, those saddled with the responsibility of managing such government property cannot afford to support that lie.  Because of the attitude of some officials, even the Iriebe land regained at huge price has been taken over again by hoodlums.
While there can be no excuse for the abysmal deficit in housing, government cannot afford to sit back and watch a few persons, especially jobless and non-indigenous elements with doubtful character endanger and deface a cosmopolitan place like Port Harcourt.
While the Rivers State Government recently ordered the removal of illegal structures and beer parlours from their quarters, places like Orije and Oromenike Housing Estates that present such eye-sore, health hazard and den for criminals stand un-challenged.
This is one level of impunity that must be put to a stop across Nigeria.  The impression is not only that government is not able to drive away opportunists and Saboteurs from their property, the issue is whether government will be able to execute judgement, protect the weak from touts and restore the rights of the law-abiding citizens. Government needs to restore public confidence in its ability and capacity to do that which is right at the right time.