Demolition: Rivers, Bayelsa Relationship Still Intact, Says Wike

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has said the recent demolition of the Bayelsa State government buildings in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has not strained the relationship between the two states.

Wike said this yesterday at the flag-off of the construction of seven units of five bedroom buildings for judges of the State judiciary.

The residential quarters is sited on the land, where the Rivers State government recently demolished property owned by the Bayelsa State government on Akasa Street in Old GRA, Port Harcourt.

He explained that with the dilapidated property owned by the Bayelsa State government demolished, his administration considered it appropriate to develop on it residential quarters for judges.

Wike said the project would be implemented under his administration’s urban renewal programme and to rid the area of criminal elements, who used the abandoned Bayelsa State property as hideout.

“This is the second phase of residence of judges of the Rivers State judiciary. It is important to let the public know where we are. This place used to be Bayelsa State government property when it was created out of Rivers State. As part of urban renewal, we gave the whole of Old GRA to Julius Berger Nigeria PLC to do all the roads and drainages,” he said.

The governor recalled that in August 2021, he wrote to the Bayelsa State governor, Douye Diri to inform him about how very dilapidated the property was and how it served as hideout of people, who could not be properly identified.

The engagement between them, he said continued without yielding the expected responses and his administration was compelled to acquire the property under public policy.