Rivers Urban Dev Ministry Decries Military Assault

The Rivers State Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning has drawn the attention of the public to an alleged assault on staff of the ministry by security operatives at the Eagle Island-Agip Bypass axis of the State.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Anthony Nweyilibo made this allegation, Monday, during an inspection to the area.
Nweyilibo also alleged that the security operatives confiscated some personal belongings of the ministry’s officials.
According to him, the security personnel were stationed at a site where a fencing project was ongoing and wondered why the military would be deployed would such a place. ‘’One wonders why the military…to be deployed in a fencing ground where illegal activities are being carried out, Army in the state is now being used to chase away ministry officials,’’ he said.
The permanent secretary said the incident took place before him,’’ these military men assaulted my men before me and seized their telephones’’.
Nweyilibo said no amount of intimidation would deter the ministry from carrying out its duties, adding that the ministry would continue to work to ensure that developers adhere strictly to all laid down building processes in the State.
He enjoined developers to get approved building plans before embarking on any building project, stressing, that ‘’the ministry is up and doing …we’re alive to our responsibilities, we will never allow people take the law into their hands’’.
He advised, “’before you build, you must have your papers to ascertain that the land you are building is not encumbered, it is not government land and you have what we call fencing permit if you want to fence. If you want to also build, you must also have building approval plan that is duly signed by the ministry’’.

Tonye Nria-Dappa