Port Harcourt is the capital and largest city of River state, Nigeria. It lies along the Bonny River and is located in the Niger Delta region. As of 2016, the Port Harcourt urban area had an estimated population of 1,865,000 inhabitants. It is economically significant as the centre of Nigeria's oil industry.
But it is faced with lots of illegal activities such as cultism, robbery, kidnapping, oil bunkering, pipeline vandalism etc.
Where I grew up called dioubu, in Port Harcourt we speak pidgin. This is a place where we always flee for our lives, the sound of gun shots must always be heard each passing day and scores of people killed. Because of this ladies hardly wear stilettos instead they wear sneakers so they could run when it calls for. We could hardly stay a day without hearing gun shots. In broad daylight you see a guy extorting money from another guy and nobody cares, and most times the police are being beaten up. We normally witness thieves being beaten and burnt to death. Even people being beaten up to the point of death for just a football match argument. We always see cult groups fighting and killing themselves over supremacy.
Most times the army deployed to the area to restore peace and order clashes with the cultists, causing panic and tension.
Marijuana though illegal but youths smoke it on the street like cigarette without fear of being arrested, even the old men and women smoke. Marijuana is so common such that when you go to the market to get leaves for cooking be careful cos' there might be marijuana among. You find youth putting marijuana in almost everything they eat even in the water they drink. Their favorite quote is "when you get high, you shall see the most high". Drug abuse is always on the high side.
In the street you see landlord pursuing tenants with cutlasses for not paying house rent. For you to survive in the hood you must be rugged, you must be willing to do the uglies. That is their believe.
Below are some of the slangs you hear in the street and their meanings
Slangs - meanings
• wida - how far
• kpor well - look very well
• faji - enjoy
• fashi - forget
• kpogidem - chill
• kpako - poor.... Etc
But the street is not suppose to be so, it should be a place of peace and harmony, a place where love should be exhibited. Many good and great men came from the street, you too can make it, just have the positive mindset. Please say NO to street violence and lets give PEACE a chance.