Girls and different natives of Ipo, a number neighborhood to the Port Harcourt Worldwide Airport within the Ikwerre Native Authorities Space of Rivers State on Wednesday barricaded the gate, entrance and exit factors of the airport protesting what they termed as neglect of their space by the airport authority for a number of years.
The protesting ladies stated they have been struggling each day from noise air pollution coming from the airport, including that they lacked fundamental facilities together with energy provide, absence of telecommunications community, regardless of internet hosting a important federal authorities facility.
The ladies who sang additionally displayed a number of placards to drive house their calls for corresponding to ‘No compensation for noise air pollution’, ‘No federal authorities empowerment, no employment for our individuals’ amongst others.
The protest was stated to have disrupted flights on the airport as some travellers missed their scheduled flights.
The state of affairs induced a gridlock from the Omagwa junction all the way down to the airport highway and stretched into hyperlink roads inside the facility as many motorist and travellers have been stranded for hours.
The ladies additionally decried the absence of markets and good colleges, saying they ship their youngsters to different communities due to the shortage of fine colleges in the neighborhood.
However on the protest assumed a fever pitch, an elder statesman and the Chairman, Rivers State Council of Conventional Rulers, Sergeant Chidi Awuse, intervened and addressed the protesters who instantly obeyed him and opened up the barricades they’d mounted.
They nonetheless stated they might resume the protest at a later date if the airport authority did not do something significant to deal with their calls for.
One of many protesters stated, “We’re going again house however we don’t have pleasure. We solely obey and respect out father Chief Awuse who spoke to us. However we are going to come again to this airport and we are going to sleep right here.
“Think about that the airport is simply stone throw to our neighborhood, no mild, no faculty, we have now been struggling. Please they need to do one thing and are available to our assist.”
One of many leaders of the protest recognized as Emmanuella, particularly decried lack of employment and empowerment for teenagers of the neighborhood by the airport authority, saying the ladies had written a number of letters to the airport authorities with none response.
She said, “The airport is making use of our land for a number of years and they aren’t even seeing us. A few of our youngsters are graduates. Many moms offered their land, wrappers and different issues to coach their youngsters within the college.
“After we have now skilled them they won’t give them good employment on the airport. After they give them jobs, it is just cleaners and safety.
“Once more we don’t have good community from this communication firm, we don’t have mild (electrical energy) and hospitals. We don’t have entry to the airport, however they permit cows to go in and destroy our farms which can be on the opposite facet.”
Equally, a chief in the neighborhood merely recognized as Tobechukwu, additionally stated the protest was on account of neglect by the federal authorities, saying the individuals might now not bear the struggling.
He said, “What we noticed this morning is on account of neglect of the federal authorities to the host of the worldwide airport, Ipo and Omagwa, however Ipo to be exact as a result of because it stands in the present day for nearly seven to eight years there isn’t any mild in Ipo neighborhood, and the airport space are utilizing federal line.
“However Ipo neighborhood as their host no mild for over seven years now. On the identical time Ipo don’t have community. They’ll deliver the telecommunication firm and present them the perfect to mount the mast than residing your complete neighborhood like this. So it’s now not bearable. That’s the reason the ladies block the entry to the Port Harcourt Worldwide Airport.”
In the meantime, reacting to the protest, the Chairman of Ikwerre LGA, Dr Samuel Nwanosike, stated the motion of the protesters was unlawful and condemnable.
In line with Nwanosike, whereas the best to protest is allowed by the regulation, processes and procedures should be adopted, whilst he stated the Ikwerre LGA was not conscious of the protest.
He said, “The native authorities will not be conscious of such protest. So we take into account the protest unlawful as a result of I spoke to the councillor of the ward when it was delivered to my discover and the councillor stated there was no choice taken by the Ipo neighborhood.
“The Neighborhood Growth Committee as we converse has additionally stated they aren’t a part of such choice. They’re in a gathering proper now together with the elders and chiefs are in a gathering with the councillor of the Ward. No such choice was taken.
“What occurred was that some people hiding below the quilt of Ipo landlord affiliation took the legal guidelines into their palms to hold out that unlawful motion. Earlier than you perform any protest the legal guidelines of Nigeria requires you to tell the related safety companies.
“You might be supposed to tell the native authorities authority, you might be supposed to tell the safety companies, the Space Commander, the Commissioner of Police, having in thoughts that the power you’re going to barricade is a federal authorities facility and loads of actions are happening there.”
The LG boss additional stated, “That motion taken this morning has induced loads of inconveniences to Nigerians. Lots of people missed their flights; some individuals grew to become agitated; some have well being points. So so far as I’m involved it’s not an motion taken by the individuals of Ikwere native authorities.
“Ipo is one in all our communities, particularly Ward 9 which I govern. I can say to the general public that that motion is illegitimate and that’s the reason I gave the safety companies a cost to ask the ladies to return house. They usually obeyed. However we’re not stopping at that the individuals behind the protest will face the wrath of the regulation as a result of they’ve breached the legal guidelines of Nigeria. So they are going to face the results of their motion.”
He nonetheless stated although the council didn’t authorize the protest, the calls for of the protesters was real, saying, “Sure Ipo individuals are going through hardship. I’m conscious that earlier than Ipo land was acquired to increase the Airport building in 1974, Omagwa and Ipo lands have been acquired to construct the worldwide airport.
“Statements and MoU have been signed. The federal authorities agreed that these host communities can be handled like a particular space, facilities, roads, hospitals, relocation of households ancestral compounds who have been affected by the development might be achieved.
“These points usually are not achieved but we agree, however you can not take a unsuitable step in attempting to realize a correct choice. We imagine that we have now been in contact with the Airport Authority and we have now been discussing and the federal authorities has been doing their half.”
Persevering with, he stated, “In 2005 the federal authorities got here with a political resolution the place it paid N200 million as compensation to Ipo and Omagwa communities. They usually promised that within the nearest future they are going to come and perform these developmental actions they promised within the gazzette earlier than they have been allowed to entry that place.
“We’ll comply with the due course of and the legal guidelines of Nigeria to make sure that these issues are achieved and achieved correctly.”
