By: Felix Ikpotor
Some residents of waterfront communities in Diobu axis in Port Harcourt, Tuesday, staged a peaceful protest to the Rivers State Government House to register their displeasure over the seven days notice to quit the area given to them by the government.
Some of the protesting residents who refused to mention their names told this publication that the seven day notice is too short.
The residents of the marked waterfront however, called on the governor Nyesom to compensate property owners before demolition.
Meanwhile, the protesters were dispersed with teargas by some personnel of the Nigeria police with armoured vehicles stationed at the entrance of the government house.
It would be recalled that the Rivers State Commissioner for Urban Development and Planning Chinyere Igwe had last week issued a seven day ultimatum from the 15th of July to 21st of July to residents of the area to quit or face the consequence.
The Rivers State government is hinging its demolition exercise on alleged insecurity in the areas, a report the protesters debunked, maintaining that they are peaceful and law abiding citizens of the state who could not afford the exorbitant rents charged by property owners in the streets that is why they have remained in the waterfronts.
Recall also that the state government has few weeks ago demolished houses at Eagle Island where thousands of persons were rendered homeless.
