Waterfront residents are illegal occupants, says Amaechi

GOVERNOR Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State has said that he is determined to demolish all the settlements in waterfronts in the state capital because the residents are 'illegal occupants''.Reacting to a statement by Amnesty International, accusing the state government of rendering poor citizens homeless, the governor said he means well the state.``It worries me when some persons talk in certain manners, in advanced countries where they live, do people live in such settlements''' he asked.The governor insisted that the waterfront settlements in the state capital had remained a haven for criminals.According to him, about 70 per cent of the criminals in Port Harcourt live in such settlements.``They do not have permanent licence to reside there, what they have is temporary licence of occupation, so I will demolish them.``All kinds of things happen there, such settlements have not helped us at all, they, in fact, add to our problems,'' the governor said.He said the state government would as usual pay commercial rates as compensations to owners of property to be demolished in the area.The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) learnt that the issue of waterfront demolition had remained controversial and that some property owners had gone to court to stop the state government's intentions.
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