Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)
3 November 2009
Port Harcourt — Amnesty International is calling for an immediate stop to planned demolitions by the Rivers State Government of houses along Njemanze Road in Port Harcourt, Nigeria warning that hundreds of people could be left homeless following the exercise.
"The Governor of Rivers State should call an immediate halt to the planned demolitions, respect the rights of the residents to adequate and reasonable notice of any eviction, and ensure that all those affected receive adequate alternative housing and that no one is rendered homeless," said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International's Africa Programme.
"Many of the tenants have no where else to go and most are unable to afford the large deposit necessary to rent a new home," said Borght.
According to the rights agency, houses along the Njemanze Road in Port Harcourt are due to be demolished tomorrow morning and panic has now set into the community, with residents desperately trying to salvage what they can.
Amnesty International said that the Rivers State government is not following its own Physical Planning and Development Law (2003).
Under this law, they should have established an "Urban Renewal Board", which would have declared the waterfront communities an "improvement area", for which it would have prepared an improvement plan. This law also requires the government to provide alternative housing for all the occupants affected which they have not done, the rights organization said in a press statement.
However, the state governor has repeatedly stated that demolitions along the waterfront are "to sanitize and check criminal activities."
"Rivers State government is only permitted to carry out evictions as a last resort," said Borght.
Borght said, "They are obliged, in every case, to explore all feasible alternatives to evictions and avoid or minimise the use of force."
According to the rights agency, tenants of the houses were only given seven days notice to vacate their homes and businesses and they want the government's help to keep their children and the elderly out of the streets.
The waterfront is one of the most densely populated areas of Port Harcourt. The buildings under threat stretch along approximately 2 kilometres off road, and will be demolished to give access to the site of the previously demolished Njemanze waterfront community.
According to UN-HABITAT, evictions of inhabitants of Njamanze, Abonnema and surrounding areas, are to make way for a development called "Silverbird Showtime." A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Rivers State Government and the company Silverbird Ltd agrees to ensure "peaceful evacuation and relocation of present occupants."
As part of its Demand Dignity campaign, launched in May 2009, to end the human rights violations that drive and deepen global poverty, the rights agency is also calling on governments globally to prohibit and prevent forced evictions and provide adequate housing for all of its residents.
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