Date Published: 03/20/10

Irate Youths still harassing businesses in Rivers despite Amaechi's warnings

DESPITE repeated warning by the Rivers State Government, irate youths in the state are still harassing businesses , traders,  lorry drivers and the like. AkanimoReports says the menace appear to be worse in Oyigbo and Obio/Akpor council areas of the state.

Apparently piqued, government on Monday again issued what a top official described as ''last warning'' to community youth bodies to desist from harassing businesses operating in the state.

The state Governor, Mr. Chibuike Amaechi who handed down the warning  while addressing protesting Rebisi Youths at the Government House gate in Port Harcourt, said government has outlawed the system in which youths and community leaders harassed companies operating in the state with demands and all sorts of spurious levies.

The governor who spoke through by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Magnus Abe, warned that youth bodies should desist from approaching companies for whatever reason as the government has instructed the firms not to listen to any demands from such bodies.

He explained that the Bill prohibiting such harassment from Community and Youth organizations would soon be forwarded to the State House of Assembly, and the law when passed, provides for three years imprisonment without an option of fine for anyone convicted.

“You can no longer go to companies to squeeze them, we would not allow it and we would fight it to the end”, he declared, and advised the youths to look for something meaningful to do.

He said any Community or group that has any grievance against any company, to channel such matters to the relevant ministries for prompt attention.

He noted that time has come for youths in the state to do things differently, emphasizing that what the youth groups can do now is to organize themselves positively, so as to benefit from government laudable programmes such as scholarships.

Governor Amaechi maintained that companies operating in the state must be allowed to work without any hindrance, to enable them expand their business and employ more Rivers people, rather than impose staff on them, adding that the government was working hard to provide a conducive atmosphere for businesses to flourish.

He promised to look into the allegations raised by the protesting youths against the company.

Earlier, the Secretary of Rebisi Youth Progressive Alliance, Mr Edward Odum, said Weatherford Nigeria Limited terminated the employment of 18 indigenes of their Community, and replaced them with non-Rivers people.

Mr Odum said the company rebuffed efforts to hold dialogue with the youth body, and appealed to the state government to investigate the circumstances surrounding the maltreatment of Rivers indigenes in the company.

But in the Oyigbo axis of the state, rampaging youth groups have devised a means of operating with badges purportedly issued to them by the Local Government Council. Petty and small-scale business operators are subjected to pay for sundry levies ranging from N4,000-N7,500.

While the Office of the Council Chairman has been denying this, sources at the council secretariat at Afam, are alleging that the youths concerned are operating in collaboration with some council officials.