Residents of the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Port Harcourt, Rivers State have petitioned the state government over the colossal damage caused by the on-going reconstruction work in the area.
The state government had late last year engaged the services of Messrs Stemco Construction Company (SCC) for the reconstruction of Woji Road in GRA Phase II, Port Harcourt with drainages with a view to tackling the ravaging flood of the area.
In a ‘Save- Our- Soul’ (SOS) letter dated March 23, 2012 addressed to Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the residents are claiming the sum of N31,657,000.00 being damages suffered by them due to the reconstruction of Woji road to prevent flooding.
The letter titled: ‘Request for Indemnity for the Damage Caused by the Flood Disaster on Woji road Phase II, Port Harcourt’, was a follow up to an earlier SOS letter dated February 23, 2012, drawing the attention of the government to the damage caused by the flood disaster due to the road reconstruction exercise.
Among the flood disaster victims were: Apostle Godfrey Numbere, Dr. Georgina Ngere-Nwagha, Engr. Amaziah Walter, Innocent Ekwem and Chief Hams Suku Ogbari.
Others include: Alex Enebeli, Capt. Ben Briggs, Madam Nwankpo Scholarstica Uzoma, Sir Dave Banigo, Engr. Austin Udisi, Capt. Frank Ukurakpo and Mrs. Tonye Briggs Oniyide.
LEADERSHIP learnt that following the failure of the state government to respond to the two letters, the embattled residents yesterday petitioned the main opposition political party in Rivers State, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to assist them in making a case to the flood disaster victims.
In its reaction, the ACN described the government’s action as tantamount to glaring insensitivity, and said it was pained by the excruciating experiences of land and property owners across the state who had to forfeit their part or whole property to either government or natural disasters, occasioned by the on-going reconstruction programme in parts of the state.
Jerry Needam, the ACN state publicity secretary sympathised with the affected persons and groups, saying that such was the prize for development.
He however enjoined the government and the reconstruction companies to keep to faith with the principle of compensation as contained in the contractual agreement which Governor Amaechi himself had always cited.