A privately owned school in Umuchokocho Chokota Community in Igbo-Etche, Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State has accused the community of extortion, harassment and intimidation.
This is even as the community accused the school, CITA International School of failure to fulfil its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Mrs Peggy Aduke, the proprietor of the school, said her business had been constantly harassed by the community, adding that the community was bent on extorting her business.
She, however, warned that if the sad development was not checked, it would escalate and drive away investors in the area.
According to her, the community had arrested some staff members of the school on the grounds that the community was not given due recognition, stating that the act was to intimidate her business.
She said the community levied N800,000 on the school or stop operation.
“The paramount ruler of the community asked for a Memorandum of Understanding, he asked that the positions of a principal, chief security officer, and accountant be brought from the community, which of course, is not possible.
“If we had found somebody who was qualified, maybe we would have considered but for security reasons, those are very sensitive positions and we had to make him understand that we paid for the property and we are not obliged to go back to pay homage to him.
“We were not owing him any anything. The plans were approved by the government. So, there was no need for us to go and ask his permission for moving in and ever since, then he demanded such homage to be paid to him, just for the sake of peace, every end of the year, we would send some gift items to him and other community people, especially widows.”
She is now calling on the state government and stakeholders of the community to intervene to forstal a possible clash between the school and the community.
