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Covenant Journal of Business & Social Sciences (CJBSS) Vol. 9 No.1, June,. 2018

An Open Access Journal Available Online

The Causes and Effects of Rural Poverty in Rivers State: Ikwerre Communities’ Perspective

Goddey Wilson, Ph.D

Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Rumuorlumeni, Port Harcourt. [email protected]

Abstract: The study examined the basic characteristics of the rural poor as well as the causes and effects of rural poverty in rural Ikwerre communities of Rivers State, Nigeria within the period of 2000-2018. Primary and secondary sources of data were used for this study. Social exclusion theory was adopted as the theoretical framework of analysis on the causes and effects of rural poverty. The study classified the rural Ikwerre poor as cultivators and non-cultivators in the society and characterized rural Ikwerre poor as peasant farmers, hunger prone people, less educated, cheap labour, vulnerable people among others. The study identified the activities of oil multinationals; cult groups and gangs; over dependence on the family heads; gender inequality; discriminating state economic policies; poor orientation and education of the youths among others as the causes of rural poverty in rural Ikwerre communities with its attendant effects on the rural poor and the communities. The study made some recommendations on how to alleviate poverty in rural Ikwerre communities of Rivers State, Nigeria. Keywords: Poverty, rural poor, rural areas, Ikwerre communities

Introduction communities of the developing states, Rural poverty is a typical poverty including Ikwerre communities of usually found in the rural areas, which Rivers State in Nigeria. Rural Ikwerre expresses inability of the rural poor communities are characterized by the within the context of socio-cultural, indices of poverty as observed in the political and economic inequality. Khan lack of basic infrastructure, inaccessible (2001) states that rural poverty accounts earth road with poor network, for about 63% of poverty in inadequate market for their farm

1 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14 products, poor health and educational Ikwerre poor and communities of Rivers facilities, constant conflict arising from State, Nigeria. struggle for the few available resources, Scope of the study poor drinking water, and absence of This research was carried out within the security leading to human insecurity in period of 2000-2018 in rural Ikwerre such communities. The indices of communities. The study conceptualized poverty in the rural communities convey rural poverty, and covers the issues of the inability and relative deprivation, the causes and effects of rural poverty in which they suffer and which classify rural Ikwerre communities of the four them as the rural poor. Hence, in this Ikwerre ethnic local government areas research, the rural poor are those living in Rivers State in rural Ikwerre communities, who are Methodology predominantly farmers and classified as In our study on the causes and effects of cultivators and non-cultivators, and rural poverty in Rivers State : Ikwerre migrant labourers, who lack the basic communities’ perspective, we used needs necessary to live well in the primary and secondary data. We used communities. Mosely & Miller (2004) interview and observation methods to see the rural poor as the class of rural collect primary data, and documented people who are largely deprived and facts from journals, books, newspapers, disadvantaged relatively to their reports etc., as secondary data on the counterparts in the urban communities. subject matter, and content analysis as a The deprivation and disadvantage of the tool to analyse the study data. The study rural poor affects their condition of population consisted of the people of the living and by extension the development rural communities in Ikwerre ethnic of the community. Incidentally, rural nationality, covering four (4) local poverty is not the wholesome creation of government areas in Rivers State, the rural Ikwerre poor, but can be namely Port Harcourt City Council; attributed to the forces of social Ikwerre Local Government Area; Obio inequality, capitalist market structure, Akpor Local Government Area; and and inadequate state policies. This Emohua Local Government Area. prompts the rural Ikwerre poor to Conceptual Framework persistently search for a better condition Rural Poverty. of living, either through migration to the To understand rural poverty, it is urban Ikwerre communities or demand important to firstly explain rural area for state intervention programmes, as and poverty separately, and later rural every Ikwerre person desires to live and poverty as a concept. Rural area within survive, without the fear of hunger, the context of community existence is scarcity, and human insecurity prevalent explained as the area geographically in the communities. The prevalence of located outside the frontiers of the urban poverty in rural Ikwerre communities areas/cities. Ojukwu (2013) explains has placed the rural poor as helpless rural area as the area that is prominently class of people in Ikwerre communities. a natural environment with basic This motivated our research to examine characteristics of low population the basic characteristics of the rural density, low income, and lack of basic Ikwerre poor as well as the causes and social infrastructure, with the indigenes effects of the rural poverty on rural predominantly farmers. The above

2 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14 characteristics apply in Ikwerre not meeting his social and economic communities located outside the urban objectives, lacks gainful employment area/cities of Ikwerre ethnic nationality and is deprived of the social, health and of Rivers State. Many scholars, educational infrastructure. Poverty including Khan (2001) state that a large deprives people, usually the poor, the population of people in developing opportunity of participation and states, including Nigeria, are living in advancement in life, and reduces their rural areas with its attendant dignity in the society. Ekpo (2000) in development challenges. In rural Wilson (2011:67) adds that poverty is a Ikwerre communities for instance, large situation of inability characterized with population of the people live in low income and low consumption in the conditions where they lack basic society. The above views explain the infrastructure, access to basic needs of prevailing conditions of the rural poor in life, have low income and consumption Ikwerre communities, as they are often rate, and are predominantly peasant classified as people with low socio- farmers, who employ crude farm tools economic, political, and technological in their farming. Indeed, these are the ability, who suffer low income and rural poor in rural Ikwerre communities. consumption rate, and are not gainfully The rural Ikwerre communities include employed, and lack basic needs of life in Rumu-Odogo 1, Rumu-Odogo 2, their communities. The poverty creates a Evekwu, Ovogo, Agba-Ndele, Egamini- wide gap of socio-economic and Ndele, Akpabu, Ozuaha, Omademe, political inequality between the rural Omudioga, Ubimini, Egbeda, Odoha- poor and urban people.

Emohua, Ibaa, Rumuekpe etc., and are Sequel to the above, rural poverty is more located in Emohua and Ikwerre explained as the poverty commonly Local Government Areas than Obio found in rural areas, including rural Akpor Local Government Area and Ikwerre communities, occasioned by Port Harcourt City of Ikwerre ethnic such factors as rural economy, and rural nationality in Rivers State. political system, with the victims

In this research, poverty is explained classified as the rural poor. Rural from different perspectives. Fields poverty is further explained within the (1994) sees poverty as the inability of an context of low income capacity, and low individual or family to sufficiently production and consumption rate of the possess resources to satisfy his or her rural people and accounts for their basic needs of life. This proves that inequality. Rural poverty in rural poverty is the inability of both communities reflect in such areas as individual and groups, and is basically inaccessibility to good drinking water, in area of poor standard of living. The poor health care and sanitation, poor above view explains poverty within the housing facility, poor educational context of socio-economic inability in facility leading to high illiteracy rate, the society, and is more of absolute large number of inaccessible earth road, terms. Similarly, Engelama and poor communication facility, and Bamidele (1997) state that poverty is all absence of good market. Mashika, Haan about the individual not being able to & Baden (1997) add that the social cater properly for his/her basic needs indicators of rural poverty include low such as food, shelter, clothing, as well as life expectancy, high infant mortality,

3 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14 poor nutrition, low household budget on states that those who are often socially food, high illiteracy, poor access to excluded are classified as the poor, and health care etc., and see the above are denied access to participate fully in indicators as common index of social socio-economic and political activities and material welfare associated with the in the society. Vroom & Hoff (2013) rural poor. Rural poverty accounts for identified the major areas where the the high incidence of rural- urban exclusion occurs as “insufficient access migration in Ikwerre communities. The to social rights; material deprivation; rural poor in rural Ikwerre communities limited social participation; and lack of in search of improved standard of living, normative integration”. In most cases, basic infrastructure and basic needs of those deprived carry out collective life, migrate to urban Ikwerre actions to resist their deprivation, but communities such as Eneka, Woji, always loss due to their inability. In Choba, Port Harcourt City, their study, Haralambos & Heald (1980) Rumuodumaya, Rumueme, Rumuigbo, corroborate with the above perspective Rumuola, Ozuoba etc., and create urban on the cause of poverty, and adds that challenges in the state. Although the the social exclusion of people in government has made several attempts activities of the society results to to alleviate rural poverty in rural poverty of the people, and identifies Ikwerre communities. However, it social exclusion as the main cause of appears the attempts were inadequate, as poverty. This study adopts the above the indicators of rural poverty are still explanation on the causes and effects of high. rural poverty, and notes that the root

Theoretical Framework cause of rural poverty in Ikwerre is the Social Exclusion Theory social exclusion of some people from Social exclusion theory became active political, social, and economic prominent in poverty studies in 1990s activities leading to the emergence of the rural poor in the community. after the economic crisis that affected France and subsequent European policy Area of the study: Background agenda on social exclusion. Ever since, information on Ikwerre Ethnic different scholars have giving different Nationality. perspectives on social exclusion. Hillary Ikwerre is one of the prominent ethnic (1994) sees social exclusion as the groups in Rivers State within the Niger process whereby some set of persons are Delta region of Nigeria. Ikwerre is the “systematically” prevented from having single largest tribe in Rivers State, but access to their desired rights and one of the minority ethnic groups in privileges that are normally available to Nigeria. The ethnic group is every member of the community. Such strategically located in the heart of rights and privileges are seen from the Nigerian economy as one of the oil and point of right to good accommodation, gas producing ethnic groups in Nigeria. health care and services, access to Geographically, Ikwerre as a tribe is education, employment opportunity, made up of four (4) Local Government democratic participation etc. The Areas (LGAs), namely Emohua, deprivation is made possible due to the Ikwerre, Obio Akpor, and part of Port inherent social class structure and Harcourt City Council, and is located inequality in the society. Young (2000) within the Rivers East Senatorial

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District of Rivers State ( See Appendix activities (Wilson, 2016). As a tribe with 1). National Population Commission several communities in the Niger Delta (2006) holds that the Ikwerre ethnic region, some Ikwerre communities are group has a total population of oil and gas producing. Ikwerre ethnic 1,390,895 people, with Emohua LGA - group is the economic hub of Rivers 210,057 people, Ikwerre LGA -188,930 State, as the area house several oil people, Obio Apkor LGA - 460, 350 multinationals, oil servicing companies, people, and Port Harcourt City - and other industrial concerns. With the 538,588 people, having different high presence of the companies in the villages and clans. The Ikwerre ethnic area, the area accommodates the highest group houses the capital city of Rivers number of migrant workers in Rivers State (Port Harcourt), and many higher State, seeking for greener pasture and educational institutions in the state, such better economic living, thereby leading as University of Port Harcourt, Rivers to population explosion, particularly in State University, Ignatius Ajuru Obio Akpor Local Government Area University of Education, Elele Campus and Port Harcourt City Council of the of Madona University, Elechi Amadi state. The increase in population also Polytechnic, Rivers State School of provides market for both small and large Nursing, Rivers State School of scale traders. With the oil and gas Midwifery, and Rivers State School of exploration and exploitation activities, Health Science and Technology. The the Ikwerre people like other Niger ethnic group shares boundary at the East Delta people are facing environmental with Etche, Eleme, Okirika and Oyigbo and economic challenges in their Local Government Areas of Rivers communities.

State, at the West with Ahoada - East Socio-culturally, Ikwerre people speak and Abual Local Government Areas of Ikwerre language, although with some Rivers State, at the North with minor dialectical differences, but easily Ogba/Egbema Local Government Area understood among them. Due to the of Rivers State and Egbeme/Ohaji Local high presence of strangers in the area, Government Area of Imo State, and at English language is used as the second the South with Asari-Toru, and Degema and official language for Local Government Areas of Rivers communication, and a good number of State. See Appendix 1.. The River the Ikwerre people speak their Sambrayo demarcates the Ikwerre neighbouring tribes languages' such as people and their neighbours at the Igbo, Eleme, Kalagbari, Okirika, western and southern parts. Ikwerre is Ekpeye, and Etche. The Ikwerre people blessed with large farm lands, are peaceful and accommodating, mangroves, forests and rivers. thereby accounting for the high

Economically, the combination of large migration of people to the Ikwerre forest, mangrove, river and farmlands in communities of the state. The people Ikwerre provide opportunity for the have rich cultural heritage and respect people to be fishermen, farmers, for their elders. Some of the Ikwerre herbalists, and traders. With the advent cultures include new yam festival of the western education, some of the holding every August and September of people are now engaged in public the year in their respective communities, service, jobs and other economic traditional marriage ceremony, burial

5 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14 rites, age grade initiation, wrestling Assembly called Ogbakor Ikwerre, competition within and between the where every adult Ikwerre son and communities, etc. Some of the people daughter assemble to discuss Ikwerre carry out different ancestral worship, development, and thereafter, policy thereby making them to be African decisions reached in the assembly is religion worshipers, while many are implemented by the constituent units. Christians, with few Muslims among Politically, Ikwerre communities have them. There are mix sources of origin of traditional political and administrative the Ikwerre people. A popular source system and structures with the families, has it that the Ikwerre people migrated villages and clans serving as the from the Old Benin Kingdom and has constituent units for administrative the Ekpeye and Ogba ethnic groups as convenience, and each headed by the relations (Nyegonum, 2016). Another oldest man as the traditional Prime source has it that the Ikwerre people Minister in charge of the unit. The chief migrated from the Igbo land (Chigere, in each of the unit serves as the 2001) and (Udeani, 2007). However, administrative head of the unit. There is whatever the source, the fact remains a separation of power between the chief that Ikwerre is an independent ethnic and traditional Prime Minister in group with some cultural relativities administration of their areas. The with both the Igbo, Ekpeye, Benin and traditional Prime Minister is the Oha Ogba ethnic groups in Nigeria. (Owhor holder) and is in charge of

Traditionally, the Ikwerre people have traditional and ancestral matters well respected traditional administrative including libation and sacrifices to the institutions for ease of political and ancestors, and mediates between the administrative activities at all units. people and their ancestors. He serves as Such institutions are family, village and the Supreme Court in judgment of clan youth forum, women association, disputes between individuals, families, men association, age grade, general villages, and clans. The chief is the assembly, council of chiefs, and council administrative head in charge of daily of village heads (Owho holders). These affairs of the people and liaises between institutions oversea the affairs of people the people and government for in their communities, settle disputes development purposes in the area. where necessary, and carry out Chiefs in most cases serve as the development projects. Wilson (2016:52) paramount ruler in their communities, as holds that each of the institution is they are usually younger and more charged with specific responsibility to educated. However, there is a strong ensure political and administrative synergy and administrative stability, peaceful co-existence, and collaboration between the chief and development of their communities. traditional Prime Minister in Ikwerre Unfortunately, there is no central head, land. traditionally controlling the affairs of The Characteristics of Rural Poor in the Ikwerre people as obtainable in other Rural Ikwerre Communities tribes like the Eze Ekpeye of Ekpeye The rural poor in Ikwerre communities Kingdom, Oba of Ogba land, Gbeneme are those residing in rural Ikwerre of Ogoni land etc., but for convenient villages, who have limited access to the purposes, there is Ikwerre General basic needs of life. They are mostly

6 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14 women, elderly ones and children Their inability is expressed in their lack (usually fatherless, motherless or of basic needs of life and inaccessibility orphan), and are predominantly farmers, to basic infrastructure. In their quest for fishermen/women, small scale traders, better living, they often migrate to other herbalists, and others who provide cheap parts of Ikwerre and neighbouring labour services in the communities. communities, usually urban They are classified as the poor on communities where their labour will be account of their inability to afford their hired and paid for. This accounts for basic socio-economic and political high indices of rural -urban migration in needs. Generally, the rural poor in the state. The rural poor in Ikwerre Ikwerre communities are broadly communities are further characterized as classified as Cultivators and Non- follows: cultivators. The Cultivators are the Peasant Farmers : The rural Ikwerre group of rural poor who are directly poor in Ikwerre communities are involved in crops and livestock predominantly farmers, who largely production and management, although farm for household consumption, and in small quantity. The cultivators have less for the market. Our field finding limited access to the farmland, either as proved that over 90% of the rural land owners or tenants (rented) to enable Ikwerre poor are peasant farmers, who them farm and earn a living. Farmlands have less access to both private and in Ikwerre community are owned and family farmlands, and therefore lack controlled by the families, and therefore capacity to achieve high productivity, are shared to the adult family members thereby leading to low income and annually, usually in small quantity while consumption. the surplus is sold to others. Due to Cheap Labour and hunger prone inadequate farmland shared to the people : The rural poor provide cheap family members and inability of the manual labour services in the poor to acquire the desired quantity of communities. They work longer than the farmland, they resort to provide their normal working hours, yet are paid labour for others to hire. peanut. They carry out all sorts of Non-cultivators form the largest part of farming activities for others, and yet the rural poor in Ikwerre communities, have no access to the products, and and are considered as the poorest of remain dependent on others for survival. them all. The Non-cultivators are those This results in low income which they without access to farm lands, either as spend largely on household food items, farmland owners or as tenants, and yet cannot afford the needed food for therefore depend solely on their labour the household and therefore they remain power (usually on dry season demand always hungry. for their labour in farming) and other Own less physical properties and lack domestic activities for a living. Many of access to infrastructure. The Ikwerre them are not financial members of the rural poor, particularly, the non- family and therefore are not given cultivators have little or no property to farmlands due them. Non-cultivators their credit in the communities. All they become victims of fluctuation or change own as property is their manual labour, in labour demand, change in wage rate which they hire as services to others at a and food price in the communities. cheap rate. The study noted that over

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70% of the Ikwerre rural poor lack communities and are often deprived sufficient property to attend to their access to educational opportunities from daily needs. Due to this inability, they oil multinationals and state scholarship are easily manipulated by others during programmes, due to their inability to political and socio-cultural activities in access information concerning the the community. They lack good scholarship. In most cases, their children accommodation, good drinking water, are not even admitted to certain public have no access to electricity, lack basic schools on account of inability to pay needs of life and access to social fees/levies. The study noted that 62% of infrastructure. the rural poor children have no access to

equipped schools in the state Limited participation in community decision making: The rural poor are not Have no access to bank facilities : The given equal opportunity to participate rural poor have no access to bank accordingly in Ikwerre community facilities, due to their inability to afford decision making process. They are often bank collateral. Physically, no bank is excluded in the process on account of situated within the rural Ikwerre areas, poor education, inferiority complex and indicating 100% absence of banking other inabilities. In the community facility in rural Ikwerre communities, general assembly, they are neither and therefore accessing information recognized nor identified to participate about bank facility becomes a problem. in political activities other than using This makes the rural poor in Ikwerre them for manual labour works. All they communities to operate on limited participate is in their immediate economic infrastructure leading to their household decision affairs. This low productivity. limitation creates more inability in them, More vulnerable to risk : The rural thereby increasing the socio-cultural poor in Ikwerre communities are inequality of the rural poor in Ikwerre. exposed to all kinds of risk in the

Depend largely on charity and public communities arising from their inability. facilities: Our interview with some of The rural poor, particularly the women the rural Ikwerre people indicates that and children become victims of the Ikwerre rural poor have a unique trafficking and in most cases get involve poverty character of high dependence on in prostitution for a living. Their free donation and support from the children abandon school for casual multinationals and can only access those labour to earn income to support the facilities provided by charity family for a living, and in return are individuals, organisations, and the state exploited by their masters. The rural such as public schools, health centers, poor are usually the first to suffer any water, etc. This is on account of their epidemic and disease in rural Ikwerre inability to afford such facility privately. communities. They are the worst hit in

Less educated: The rural Ikwerre poor event of any communal violence and and their children face the risk of less exposed to hazardous economic and educational opportunity due to high cost political challenges in Rivers State. of education in the state. The rural They suffer intimidations and all forms Ikwerre poor have no access to quality of discriminations from others in the communities. education. They only attend the ill equipped public schools in their rural 8 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14

The Causes and Effects of Rural communities. These groups carry out Poverty in Rural Ikwerre several activities and operations that are Communities inimical to community development, This section of the study analyses the particularly rural communities. They causes and effects of rural poverty on facilitate communal crisis and violence, rural Ikwerre communities of Rivers rape women, kidnap people for ransom, State. and in the process, the rural Ikwerre

The activities of oil multinationals in people run away from their communities the communities. Wilson (2013) stated to other communities in search of peace that on several occasions, the inability and security. In their new settlement, of oil and gas multinationals - Shell BP due to inadequate farmlands and poor and Agip Oil companies to manage its economic resources, the people are oil installations led to the oil pipe line neither opportune to farm adequately to explosion and pollution of River cater for their family food needs nor are Sambrayo, which affected the riverine they able to carry out trading activities Ikwerre communities such as Agba- to earn income. Even when they are Ndele, Rumuekpe, Ogbakiri, Emohua, willing and able to hire out their labour Rumuodgo 2, Rumuewhor etc. Wilson as services to others, they are hired at a (2013) sees the activities of the oil and price not commensurate to their labour gas multinationals in Ikwerre input, and therefore cannot earn communities as the cause of adequate income to afford their basic environmental pollution in the area with needs. The people of Rumuekpe, Ibaa, its attendant implications on both the Omudioga, Ogbakiri, Rumuji, Obelle, people and the communities. Nsirim- Elele Alimini communities, etc were Worlu (2012) adds that the operation of causalities of the such groups' activities the multinationals in the area have in their communities, and suffered food negative impact on the environment of scarcity and human insecurity at several the area. The upland communities such times. as Ibaa, Omudioga, Iguruta, Elele etc Large family system and dependency were not excluded from the oil pollution for livelihood on the head of the of their farmlands. As a result, fishing family. and farming activities are cut short in Ikwerre culture encourages the man to these communities, leading to low food marry as many wives as he desires, and production, low income, and hunger and attribute the wives as the man's assets. scarcity in the Ikwerre communities and The man (father) becomes the head of culminating in the poverty for the rural the family and is saddled with the Ikwerre people. responsibility of feeding the wives and

The activities of cult groups, gangs children and providing their basic needs. and militants in Ikwerre This makes the large family to depend communities. Rural Ikwerre solely on him for survival. In most communities, like other Niger Delta cases, due to the large capacity of the communities, are not devoid of cult family, the man hardly can afford to groups, street gangs and militancy provide the basic needs of all the family activities. Wilson (2017) classified the members, including some children, cult groups, gangs and militants as Non- thereby depriving such children access State Security Actors in Niger Delta to basic education, good food, good accommodation, health care, etc and this

9 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14 is responsible for the poverty in the deprives them access to bank loan to family, and by extension the enhance their farming and other communities. economic activities. This contributes to

Gender inequality in enforcement of poor agricultural productivity and low right of inheritance and possession of economic activities in rural Ikwerre farmlands and other properties. communities, and increases the list of Ikwerreboy (2015) holds that Ikwerre the poverty of the rural Ikwerre poor. people have rich cultural heritage, with Activities of Corrupt Politicians and some harmful practices. In Ikwerre Public Bureaucrats. Corrupt politicians culture, all farmlands are owned and and public bureaucrats in the state controlled by the families. In the family, services use the instrumentalities of the the men are considered first in state power to deprive the rural Ikwerre farmlands allocation during farming poor of infrastructure. Every year, the season. However, the women may be government at all levels make budgets given small portion if the farmland for the development of the rural areas, remains after extensive sharing to the including rural Ikwerre communities in men. In most cases, the women are not such areas as provision of good and considered at all, despite the available accessible roads, electricity, drinking quantity of farmlands for the season. On water, health care facility, education for event of death of the head of the family all, affordable accommodation, (husband), only the male children are economic empowerment of the poor, recognized and considered to inherit the etc. At the end of the year, the monies farmlands and other properties of their budgeted for these development items father, with the first son possessing the are expended by the politicians and largest portion of the farmlands and the bureaucrats without any development in highest properties. The female children, the rural areas, as the rural poor remain irrespective of their number and age are the same. Despite the regular annual landless members of the family. This budget for drinking water projects, traditional inequality accounts for the health care, affordable accommodation deprivation of the women and female through state housing, electrification children in rural Ikwerre communities. and construction of motorable roads in They are deprived access to adequate Rumuodogo 1&2, rehabilitation of farmlands even when they are willing Agba-Ndele road, Rumuekpe road and and able to farm in large quantities. This electricity, Akpabu road, Ibaa road, etc, results in poverty, as they cannot afford these and other rural Ikwerre to provide the needed food for their communities exist without good roads to families, particularly the widows in rural transport their agricultural products to Ikwerre communities. the urban markets. This denial of the

Discriminating State Economic basic infrastructure to the rural poor Policies. Some of the State economic accounts for their poverty. policies are against the rural Ikwerre State Acquisition of Rural Ikwerre poor and account for their poverty. The Farmlands for State Projects. The bank policy on obtaining bank loan with State through its Lands Reform Policy collateral is against the rural poor, who acquired large portions of Ikwerre have no collateral to present. Their farmlands and converted same for its inability to afford the bank collateral projects. Farmlands were acquired in

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Choba, Aluu and Rumuekini Crude Farming Equipment and communities for University of Port System: The rural Ikwerre poor, who Harcourt and its allied institutions; are predominantly farmers still use Nkpolu Oroworukwo farmlands for crude farming equipment, usually knife Rivers State University and its allied and hoe and operate on land tenure institutions; Rundele, Rumukalagbor system. These crude equipment and and Rumuorlumeni communities system limit them from carrying out farmlands for Ignatius Ajuru University farming activities in large scale for large of Education; Ogonigba, Rumuomasi scale productivity, and therefore account and Ogbum-N'abali communities for their low productivity and low farmlands for industrial layout (Trans- income in the community.

Amadi), Elele, Ipo, Ozuaha, Omademe, Strategies to Reduce Rural Poverty in Omerelu, Akpabu, and Ubimini Rural Ikwerre Communities farmlands for Palm Estate (SIAT) etc. This section states the strategies to These large portions of farmlands alleviate the rural poverty in rural acquired by the state deprives the rural Ikwerre Communities of Rivers State. farmers' the opportunity of farming  The state in collaboration with adequately for their survival, and the affected Ikwerre encourages idleness and poverty in such communities should engage the rural communities. rural youths in educational Cultural Value, Poor orientation and programmes and regular Education of the Youths : Ogoloma orientation on the need to adapt (2003) sees the Ikwerre culture as a to change in the communities. rigid entity that is not dynamic enough This will enhance the to accommodate modernization, thereby educational capacity of the affecting the people orientation and youths and their productivity in growth. Culturally, the strength and Ikwerre communities value of Ikwerre men/women are  The rural development agencies determined by the capacity of farmlands should enforce its policy he/she is able to possess and farm objectives for the development effectively. This prompts many youths, of the rural areas, including particularly in the rural areas to engage Ikwerre communities. themselves in large farming activities,  There should be opportunity for although in crude farming system in the rural Ikwerre poor to access order to be recognized and attain the bank facility for farming needed cultural status, thereby keeping activities without much away from western education. The long restriction through collateral. -run effect is that most of the rural- The state should encourage the youths are poorly oriented and educated, banks to establish at least a but highly valued culturally due to their branch in rural Ikwerre physical strength and farming activities. community, particularly in This poor orientation and education of Emohua Local Government the rural youths account for their Area of the state. poverty of the mind, and deprives them  Government at all levels should access to greater opportunities. Indeed, implement rural development it leads to their socio-economic poverty budget for the development of even in their communities. 11 Goddey Wilson CJBSS (2018) 9(1) 1-14

the rural areas, including involve in corporate social Ikwerre communities to reduce responsibility projects for rural poverty in Ikwerre rural Ikwerre communities’ communities. development.  There should be a reform on  Activities of the ethnic militias Ikwerre cultural right of and cult groups/gangs should be inheritance and access to checked and controlled by the farmland and other properties to State Security Agents to reduce give equal and better violence and suffering of the opportunity to both male and poor. female children.  The government should  The oil and gas multinationals empower the rural Ikwerre poor, operating in Ikwerre who are farmers with improved communities should maintain seedlings, farming equipment their oil facilities to avoid and train them on new farming pollution of the host skills to improve their farm communities and seriously yields.

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