Port Harcourt, Nightmare, City, Garden, Population, Rivers State
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World Environment 2014, 4(3): 111-120 DOI: 10.5923/j.env.20140403.03 Port Harcourt, the Garden City: A Garden of Residents Nightmare Kio-Lawson D.*, Dekor J. B. Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria Abstract Port Harcourt, the administrative and commercial capital of oil Rivers State is referred to as the Garden city of Nigeria because of its richness in greenery. With a high concentration of economic opportunities coupled with a well developed transportation network the city was quick to emerge as the nerve centre of economic activities in the Niger Delta as well as one of the most industrialized cities in Nigeria. From a small population of 235,098 in 1963, its current population stands at 1.5 million. This astronomical increase in population is not without its own problem. The city today is regarded as one of the most congested cities in Nigeria with several nightmarish problems facing both the government and residents. This paper clinically examined these problems as they are with the aim of providing answer to the question of “what is to be done” to tackle the problems effectively. This paper was able to establish that the failure of the government to meet up its social responsibility to the people is largely responsible for most of the problems experienced by residents in the city. This work was made possible after several months of intense field work. Primary data collected through personal observation, face-to-face interview and discussion with residents of the city was very helpful. Past works of previous scholars relating to this research also contributed greatly to the success of this research. Keywords Port Harcourt, Nightmare, City, Garden, Population, Rivers State 1. Introduction the city is a picture of spatial beauty; a small modern city that display the beauty of modern architecture, beautiful Port Harcourt, the garden city of Nigeria, the residential, commercial and industrial layout, then the smiles administrative capital of oil rich Rivers State stands tall of a friendly people still willing to welcome new visitors. among other cities as one of the fastest growing cities in The young bubbling city with so much opportunity for trade Nigeria. From its small population of 235,098 in 1963 it has and commerce, and once a heaven for tourist has suddenly exploded to 1.5 million currently [1]. With the availability of become a city of nightmare for residents. The first problem efficient transport network, access to the city by air, road, confronting a first-timer in the city is in the area of and water is made with minimum effort. This singular accommodation. Housing famine is one word to describe the advantage coupled with a good business environment housing situation in the city [2]. Apart from Abuja, the (heavily industrialized) the city was quick to attract the federal capital territory, residents of Port-Harcourt pays the hardworking Ibo businessmen from the East, the highly highest on accommodation. Those who could not afford the educated Yoruba’s from the West, and the skillful Hausa high rent in the planned residential areas had resorted to traders from the North. This explains the reason for the settling for ‘a roof over head’ at marginal settlements located astronomical population explosion experienced in the city. at the periphery of the city but even here rent is gradually While the population of the young city grew rapidly, its rising towards the sky. economy also experienced a steady growth but not without Traffic congestion is another problem residents have to its own catalogue of problems. Even though today residents live with daily in the city. Despite the huge resources spent of the city can boast with a smile of a city with viable on road construction and expansion by the government, economic opportunities, beneath those smiles they also have traffic jam is one nightmare that has refused to disappear their own tales of nightmare experienced daily in the ever from the streets of the city. Most of the major roads including expanding city. The first picture that greets a first-timer into some of the recently constructed ones are infested with deep potholes due to the failure of contractors to use quality * Corresponding author: [email protected] (Kio-Lawson D.) construction materials. Driving through such roads Published online at http://journal.sapub.org/env especially during the pick hours or rainy season is almost a Copyright © 2014 Scientific & Academic Publishing. All Rights Reserved nightmare. 112 Kio-Lawson D. et al.: Port Harcourt, the Garden City: A Garden of Residents Nightmare Figure 1. Map of Rivers State showing Port Harcourt, the Garden City Power supply is almost not inexistence in the city. The Crime is still on the high side despite the presence of the rationing of electricity supply in the city means that private Joint Military Task Force (JTF) on the streets. Though business has to depend largely on personal power generator militancy war has decreased with the introduction of the to stay alive in the market. The story from the health sector is federal government Amnesty programme, cult groups still not a palatable one either. Doctors and nurses at the two operate with light weapons, attacking one another at will, major government owned hospitals had embarked on more and also making the street of Port-Harcourt still unsafe for strike than any other union in the state thereby often residents at night. subjecting patients to the mercy of private hospitals whose fees the common man in the street cannot afford. The provision of such basic services as water supply to the 2. Method and Technique public has been struck out from the list of government. Water supply to the public is now completely left in the hand of the Port Harcourt, the administrative capital of Rivers State is private sector. The public taps that were clearly visible in the one of the most industrialized cities in Nigeria. The city is streets of the city, that gave water to the poor in the 70’s and divided along two zones; Northern and Southern Port 80’s had completely gone with history. Harcourt. While the northern part is largely made up of World Environment 2014, 4(3): 111-120 113 arable land, the southern part is largely made up of array of 30,000 acres of land was ceded to the Colonial Masters of creeks. There are about four hundred and eighty three which only 13,000 acres were suitable for physical identifiable roads in the city. For the purpose of this study, development [3]. The name Port Harcourt was given to it by the entire city was segmented into four zones; north, south, Lord Luggard, the first Governor General of Nigeria. It was east and west using geographic characteristics. Three types named after the then British Secretary of State, Lewis of residential development were identified in the city; the Harcourt. This development increased the status of the area. indigenous settlements that had been swallowed up by the It triggered off the migration of several European trading city through expansion but still maintain the indigenous firms, traders, businessmen and government establishment names and landmarks, the planned residential areas that into the area from different parts of the country. The area came with the city’s growth and the areas growing without gradually metamorphosed into a strong commercial and any form of development control. In each of the zone, administrative centre south of the country. Its seaport inventory of localities or settlements was compiled. Six became an export route for such commodities as groundnuts localities were identified in each zone. A random sample of and palm oil. With the discovery of oil in commercial two localities was picked from each zone representing 33.3%. quantity in the region, the young city provided more A further compilation of streets in each locality picked for economic opportunities for persons from all over the country. the study was made. A systematic random sampling This was the beginning of rapid migration into the area. With technique was used to administer 2000 structured the creation of Rivers State from the former Eastern Region, questionnaires in eight selected localities in the city (table 6). the city became the capital of the new State. The city has In order to ensure effective distribution and representation, recorded an astronomical growth since then spatially 30% of the total number of streets in each locality was expanding beyond its original boundary. Initial growth was randomly picked for questionnaire administration. A total of towards the southern axis surrounded by arrays of mangrove 250 questionnaires were evenly distributed within the swamp. Today, land space here has been exhausted forcing selected streets in each locality. In each street, after the first developers to direct development towards the northern axis building and first resident, an interval of 5 was used to select made up of arable land. With a population of over 1.5million, the next building and the next resident. Our target in each the city stands out as one of the fastest growing cities in the building is head of household who had resided in the city for country both in commerce and human population [2]. The a period of forty years and above. Relevant information were city is popularly referred to as the Garden City of Nigeria extracted from questionnaires and used for this sturdy. because of his richness in greenery. Personal observation and oral interview were also employed where necessary to achieve the aim of this research work. Officials of some government establishments involved in the 4. Objectives of the Study provision basic services to the public were also identified and interviewed.