Rivers May Revoke C of O Of New Occupant Of Port Harcourt Slaughter

Rivers State Government has indicated that it could revoke the Certificate of Occupancy issued to the present occupiers of the former Port Harcourt Slaughter market located at the Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout.
The Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, gave the indication when protesters from Oginigba, the host community of the former Slaughter Market, stormed Government House to demand the recovery of the land from the new occupants, operators of a popular supermarket in Port Harcourt linked to a former governor of the state.
The Head of Civil Service, who addressed the protesters on behalf of Governor Siminalayi Fubara, said all lands in the state belong to the government, and that any Certificate of Occupancy to any land illegally acquired would be revoked.
He stated, “What I will assure you is that the governor is the owner and custodian of all lands in Rivers State. Everything has a procedure, the procedure for the acquisition of land and all associated rights. If they are not followed, then that process would be repossessed.”
He said the new leadership in Rivers State thinks of the people first because it was produced by the people. “This is a government that has taken an oath to protect the people, their lives and their property. It is disheartening to hear the pathetic story that was told.
“Whereas they should have been thinking of how to enlarge your land to see how they can get you because I know the sacrifices you have made with those properties that people, companies here and there.”
The leader of the protesters, Elder George Ariolu, said the people of Oginigba were deceived that the land would be used for a government project but to their surprise, it was handed over to a private shopping mall belonging to a past governor of the state to do business.
Elder Ariolu stated, “We came here on a peaceful protest to let His Excellency know that our land was forcefully taken away from us by the ex-governor of Rivers State and some of his men.
“They allocated to themselves and allocated to a company called Hypercity without consultation whatsoever. Not one day did they call the community people for any meeting. And we have been there for the past two weeks; nobody has come to speak with us. That is why we came here.”
Women, elders and youths of Oginigba have blocked the entrances to the land, which is being developed as a supermarket for almost three weeks now.