Rivers state Ministry of Urban Development and Physical Planning have warned land developers and residents in the state to stop building houses and fences on waterways, Shell lines, PHCN lines, and all multinational companies’ right of ways to prevent flood disaster.
Commissioner for Urban Development, Dr Reason Onya, who stated this while fielding questions from our reporter Tina Stephen, said the recent flooding in Agbada location – Shell line at Igwuruta was as a result of structures built on shell right of way.
According to him, the continuous flooding in Obioakpor local government area is caused by residents of the area building houses on waterways and multinational companies right of ways.
“In Obio/Akpor local government area, that is where we have lots of these situations, people building in the right of way of multinationals, waterways and PHCN lines.
“That is why you see lots of flooding going on in Obio/Akpor and all those buildings must go down because Port Harcourt has to return to its glory of Garden city.
“There is no way this can be achieved when people continue to build on waterways thereby causing flooding.
“The whole purpose of governance is to keep life and security. If you build on waterways, people get drowned, you are no longer keeping the lives and properties of the people.
“Peoples’ properties get covered up with water on the process and they lose lives, choice properties, house equipment, the building can’t last long till it collapses.
“Rivers state government is all out to secure the lives and properties of its citizens.‘’
Dr Onya urged the public to always obtain proper information of lands before buying and building on it.
“Anybody that wants to buy a land should always try to find out the authenticity of the land, go to the ministry of land and housing or come to the ministry of urban development before you build.
“When they chart, it will definitely tell you the land is in so so location, it can’t be used for a commercial or residential purpose.
“If you want to buy a land from any of the local government areas, take out time to go to the police station closest to that place to know more about the land or better still see the chief of the community to tell you who is the rightful owner of the land. Chart before you buy, chart before you build to avoid falling prey to situations like this‘’
He, however, said that the state government is putting up lots of mechanism such as relief materials for affected LGA’s, adding there is inter-ministerial synergy with other agencies to mitigate the anticipated flood crisis.
