RESISTING FORCED EVICTIONS IN PORT HARCOURT, BEING A TEXT OF PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY SOCIAL ACTION AND STAKEHOLDER DEMOCRACY NETWORK (SDN) ON FORCEFUL EVICTIONS OF OCCUPANTS AND ILLEGAL DEMOLITIONS BY THE RIVERS STATE GOVERNMENT

Since its commencement of demolitions, appeals have been made to the Rivers State Government to spare the residents of the waterfront communities of avoidable misery by following due process in its urban renewal programme. View more pictures

The Nigerian National Assembly should reject fresh request from President Goodluck Jonathan for approval of a new $4.427billion foreign loan. Approval of such a loan would be tantamount to encouraging financial recklessness, corruption and a return to unsustainable debt burden, Social Action said.

The recent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico has called to attention the disadvantaged position of oil bearing communities around the world. The obvious attempts at cover ups by the British Petroleum (BP) is just another reminder of the impunity of transnational oil companies, and the need for states everywhere to be alive to the task of checking corporate excesses, to protect the natural environment and community livelihoods. 

BP and its Chief Tony Howard has come under fire recently for shaving off $4 billion BP costs, which has contributed to lowering safety standards in its US operations. This is only a reflection of a pervasive culture of subterfuge and criminal negligence in the global oil industry.

In their bid to ensure that citizens right to decent housing and the right  to work and earn a living are not arbitrarily abused by a government that was supposed to protect and provide for the needs of the people, Social Action Nigeria, working in concert with civil society groups and community people, condemn the recent threat by the Governor of Rivers State to continue demolition exercise in Port Harcourt and  call on the Rivers State government to stop further displacement of the poor waterfront residents until proper data are taken and alternative accommodation provided for them.