Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
Some members of Akparabara family in Tai Local Government Area of Rivers State, have lamented over the way the Ministry of Environment has acquired their land for the building of 100-bed Specialist Hospital, through the Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) in Kpite Tai, without proper negotiation with the owners of the land.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, in Port Harcourt, the Representative of Akparabara families Land Allottees, Mr. Sam-Bariepie Knight Nubaridoo, disclosed that the Federal Ministry of Environment has not had any proper negotiation with the Akparabara family who he said are the owners of the land that they have acquired.
According to him, the position of the family now is that the Federal Ministry of Environment should stop operations on the land until after proper negotiation with the family is concluded.
Speaking further, Nubaridoo noted with dismay that in Abuja, the federal capital, the Ministry of Aviation is paying compensation per plot, while the Federal Ministry of Environment is paying compensation per crop in Tai Local Government Area, in Rivers State, wondering why it should be so.
He said, for the interest of peace, the family is asking the Ministry of Environment to stop every operation on said land.
He also disclosed that the family has directed their lawyers to write to the Federal Ministry of Environment.
According to him, the land is the only source of livelihood of the families.