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Njemanze demolitions - the effect on the people

Onlookers watch as their homes are destroyed by government buldozers

On Friday 28 August 2009 the government bulldozers finally came to Njemanze Waterfront in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Roads to Njemanze were barricaded by a large number of heavily armed security personnel from the police, the army and Joint Task Force.

Reports claim soldiers were beating, harassing and intimidating helpless citizens to make them clear the area. Many of the residents had only one thing on their mind; “We do not have anywhere to go.”

One year on we hear from local residents about their experiences....

Mr Komene

"My wife was trading on foods stuff when we were at Njemanze. I was living in a self-contained apartment but now I am squatting with a friend, my children are in my village because all of us can not be accommodated there. I built the house at Njemanze based on the agreement between me and the landlord. The demolition affected me badly because I was not there to pick anything from my house. My children lost all their social contact and friends and even the school at home is not the same with the one at Port-Harcourt. My advice to the State government is to look into the plight of the people and settle us because we are all indigenes of the State."

Mr West

"I lived in two bed-rooms before the demolition of Njmanze but now I am in one room with my children and wife, you can imagine how horrible it is for all of us to live in one room. Right now I am staying at Abonema wharf Waterfront community. During the demolition at Njemanze waterfront by the government of Rivers State I lost all my properties. I used to deal on assorted drinks worth about 1.5 Million Naira but now I am doing a casual work at motor-park so that I can survive and the money from the daily pay is too small for our up-keep. At Njemanze my business was booming. I also supply drinks in large quantity, but due to the demolition my business has collapsed. My wife is only selling small cooked food to support."

"The State government should eradicate poverty not to cause more tension in the system, they should have provided an alternative arrangement before the demolition, and this singular attitude can cause some anti-social activity. My advice to the government is that they should change their mind and come to the aid of the less –privileged so that crime rate will be minimised."

Mr Barituaipre

"I was staying at Njemanze before the sudden demolition by government. I am still the Secretary of Tenants Association of the demolished Njemanze. The association used to settle dispute among members and other crises as may arise."

"On the demolition there was no proper notice only that houses were marked and that was not enough information given to us. During the demolition the government brought in the Joint Task Force to chase people out and I was unable to take my property. We suffered a lot because the bulldozers came unannounced and properties worth millions of naira were destroyed. Now some one helped me and those who do not have friend are sleeping in some churches, some are in uncompleted building while others are sleeping under the bridge. I think government have a rethink and look into our condition because we do not have money to pay for house rent since they did not give us an alternative accommodation, for now I am staying at Abonema waterfront Community."

Mrs Kalifor

"I am now living in Abonema Community after the house I was renting was demolished by government bulldozers. My son get sick because we have no place to sleep due to stress and now they are in the village with my grandmother. My children are no longer in school because we lost the accommodation at Njemanze and I don’t have money to pay for a bigger accommodation for all of us as their father has abandoned them since eight years now. I am the bread winner of the house, unfortunately the bulldozer destroy all our properties."

"I need some assistant so that I can train my children in school because I missed that opportunity when I was a child. The house at Njemanze I paid for three years but I have only stayed for one year before I lost the house."

A reminder of the history of the Waterfront Communities

The entire disputed waterfronts were developed on land reclaimed by people who settled there some time before 1913. All the waterfront areas in Port-Harcourt were once waterloged until the settlers reclaimed the land and established a working community for themselves.