The decision of the National Human Rights Commission to undertake a public inquiry into demolitions and forced evictions in parts of Nigeria is most welcome and a laudable one.
Coming against the backdrop of the several systematic abuses to the Housing and indeed Human rights of countless Nigerians by governments in certain parts of the country such as is orchestrated by the mindless evictions and demolition of several Waterfront Communities under the guise of an illusive urban renewal by the Rivers State government as well as the forceful acquisition of large scale land from helpless Communities in Ogoniland for a phantom private commercial Banana plantation by the same Government.
These actions which the Rivers State government have continued to carry out despite several appeals from well meaning individuals, groups and bodies both local and international, have thrown over 45,000 persons, including women and Children, victims of the Waterfront Communities forced evictions and demolitions as well as 30,000 local farmers affected by the Ogoni Land grab into avoidable misery and untowed hardship as a result of loss of their homes/shelter as well as means and sources of livelihood.
Majority of the inhabitants of the Rivers State Waterfront communities belong to the most economically underprivileged class and are people who cannot secure or afford housing accommodation in the main city. This difficulty is due to acute shortage of accommodation in the state and the consequent high cost of rentals; both challenges outcome of poor urban governance by past and present administrations and a manifestation of poverty in the midst of abundant but mismanaged wealth. Waterfront communities have been home to millions of junior civil servants, fishers, artisans and casualised workers in the expensive oil city. Most of these residents migrated to Port Harcourt as a result of the devastation of their farmlands and pollution of fishing rivers by the oil companies operating in their communities..
These abuses individually and collectively constitute grave violations to the fundamental rights of the people as enshrined in the United Nations on Human and People’s Rights.
While therefore strongly urging the National Human Rights Commission to conduct a thorough and unbiased inquiry into these illegal evictions and demolitions, Social Action will firmly support victims of these abuses to seek representation to the Commission’s inquiry as a means of redressing the injustices.
Signed:
AkpoBari Celestine
Port Harcourt
Source: OgoniNews
