Tears, agony and anguish dotted the faces of distraught persons as more than 1,000 residents of Diobu in Port  Harcourt have been rendered homeless, following the racking of houses in over nine waterfront areas by the Rivers State Government. The affected places include waterfront settlements in Abba, Elechi, Nanka, Uruala, Afikpo, Ojike, Akuzu, Egede and Soku streets.
The authorities had apprised the residents of the areas of its contrivance to demolish the expanses, citing the sale of illegally refined petroleum products and high crime rate as reasons for the demolition. Weeks later, the government stalked the area with bulldozers and fully armed security operatives to enforce the order.
Governor Nyesom Wike had, in his 2022 New Year message, said the state government would, from the second week of January, commence the demolition of all shanties and makeshift structures in criminal hotspots in Port Harcourt. The aim is to keep the state peaceful, safe and secure. Sadly, the victims failed to heed the several quit notices from the government.
“And to make the state safer, the government will from the second week of January 2022 commence demolition of all shanties and makeshift structures in identified crime hotspots in Port Harcourt, particularly the Iloabuchi areas of Diobu,” Wike said.
Attempts to demolish waterfronts in the state capital are not new. Recall that it was a very controversial issue that overheated the body politic in the administration of the former governor, Celestine Omehia. And when Rotimi Amaechi came on board, he initially put off the task to score a cheap political point, but later continued with the demolition policy, and reiterated his government’s position that waterfronts would give way to proper development.
It is our view that the Rivers State Government has acted appropriately in demolishing the shanties and slums in the state capital. Therefore, we advise Rivers people and stakeholders to completely support the efforts of the administration to sanitise and develop waterfronts, as the scheme is the best possible alternative to improve the lives of those living in urban slums.
A major way to tackle security challenges in Port Harcourt is to develop the waterfront areas that have been noted over the years to be hideouts for hoodlums and brigands because of how the places are built. It is difficult to follow a criminal to those locations, except the setting is very familiar. Enforcement became necessary because the state government believed that something had to be done to stop the illegal activities.
Over the last few decades, Port Harcourt has experienced mediocre and unequal development. The result is that basic infrastructure and services are seldom provided. Though the state capital is a stellar city in Nigeria in terms of economic feat, it is unable to struggle through with the challenges of urbanisation, resulting in sorely inadequate housing and the escalation of slums.
These slums, poorly planned, unhealthy and saturated, lack basic infrastructure such as health facilities, potable water, paved roads, adequate drainage, and a waste disposal system. They are highly populated ghettos requiring electricity and healthcare, where several households share a small common latrine.
Residents of the waterfronts are in thin ice because of the power lines that run along the slums, bringing about serious threats during high tide, thunderstorms and heavy rainfall. In addition, the environment is considered to be degraded as a result of runoff into rivers and the randomness of the facilities and structures.
We strongly endorse the state government’s action because the waterfront settlements have constituted a stumbling block to the economic and gainful utilisation of the areas and undermine the “megacity status” the administration is working hard to achieve. Clearly, these ghettoes and slums are completely incompatible with the government’s development plan.
The administration’s pursuit of its policy on a cleaner environment and restoration of master plans through the removal of all environmental infractions and nuisances across the state is certainly the way to go. It is quite worrisome that ramshackle structures, sheds, canopies, and shanties have turned to the abode of miscreants, street urchins, kidnappers, touts, street traders, and hawkers who often vandalise public utilities and attack innocent citizens.
If waterfront areas are to be developed, their destruction is essential. It is commonly stated that there is no success or advancement without pain or price. Accepting pain means that we choose to accept distress as an unavoidable and vital element of success and growth. Without pain, there is neither growth, triumph victory. Mark Manson says, “There is no such thing as change without pain, no growth without discomfort.”
While the demolition exercise progresses, the state government needs to ensure that the waterfronts are properly developed into liveable and decent housing. At the end of the demolistion, the areas should not be left fallow; rather, they have to be reclaimed to pave the way for infrastructural development in line with acceptable standards for waterfront settlements.
As many areas of the state rapidly urbanise following a multitude of push and pull factors that generate urban crises among city dwellers notably the urban poor, the administration must regulate new settlements and urbanisation.  The glaring disregard for building regulations is alarming. Hence, the government must step up the demolition of any existing structures in violation of the law.