Bayelsa warns youths hijacking food from IDP camps
Agip distributes materials in 260 communities
Managing Director of Quantum Business School in Port Harcourt, Mrs. Josephine Itonyo, has warned that the flood ravaging the country could worsen the housing deficit in the country.
She asked the government at all levels and investors to come up with urgent strategic plans to prevent the already bad situation in the housing sector from degenerating.
Itonyo, who spoke through Mrs. Estherlyn Idoko at a real sector summit organised in Port Harcourt at the weekend, noted that Nigeria has a huge housing deficit, lacks affordable and quality housing for citizens, and needs urgent intervention by the government and the private sector.
She also noted that housing plays a very critical role in social economic and other aspects of the life of any country and urged stakeholders, and youths to become economic drivers in the socio-economic development of the country by sharing ideas, and experiences that can move the country forward and provide quality and affordable housing for all.
She said: “Imagine investing to provide housing for over 200 million people in Nigeria. That is huge. The market potential is massive. The real estate sector is one that continues to grow. As the population grows, there will be a need for more houses; as earnings increase, there will be a need to upgrade to more quality homes. So, the real estate industry is a thriving and booming industry.
“If we desire socio-economic growth in this South-South region, the real estate industry has a huge part to play. The need to form a strong association that will collaborate with various arms of the government to provide quality and affordable housing will be the tool that will stimulate economic growth and development in our region. That can only happen if the individual realtors/real estate companies come together as a strong association to drive the objective.”
In Bayelsa, the Chairman of, the Task Force on Flood Mitigation and Management in Bayelsa State, Iselema Gbaranbiri, has warned youths, who harass and attack IDP camps to cart away food provided by the government to desist or face the full wrath of the law.
According to Gbaranbiri, youths carry out the criminal act on the pretext that the items are meant for their chiefs, Community Development Committee members, youth bodies and the like.
The task force, in a statement issued in Yenagoa, said: “In the best interest of peaceful coexistence, communities and their leadership are strongly advised to desist from such criminally-mannered attitude. Otherwise, the Prosperity Government will not contemplate one moment to descend on such identified community or leadership.”
MEANWHILE, Nigerian Agip Oil Company (NAOC) and Joint Venture (JV) have distributed food and essential goods in about 260 flooded communities in Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Imo states.
This was disclosed when a delegation of JV, led by the General Manager of Port Harcourt District, began distribution at the weekend, at host communities of Ob/Ob Gas Plant after meeting with their leaders.
NAOC said the gesture was to reinforce existing collaborative relationships with the communities since 1962.
The company said the partnership had become more imperative at the time of the disaster.
