- Lagos Govt Justifies Oworonshoki Demolition
- …Cites Safety Concerns
- … Says Makoko Next
The Lagos State Government has defended its decision to demolish buildings in Oworonshoki, insisting that due process was followed before the exercise.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban and Regional Development, Gbolahan Oki, said at a press conference on Tuesday that the state had engaged community stakeholders for three years on the need to regularise their building approvals.
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“We don’t just go to demolish; due process was followed. The buildings demolished were dilapidated and cracked, they just painted them. People also complained that those who rob on the Third Mainland Bridge run back to the shanties,” Oki said.
He added that the government would soon extend its enforcement to Makoko, Yaba, where several shanties are built under high-tension cables.
“We have held several meetings with people living in Makoko because many of the shanties are built under high-tension cables. We have told them to move, but they have refused. They are even extending to the middle of the Third Mainland Bridge,” Oki stated, stressing that the government prioritises lives over illegal structures.
The PUNCH reported that residents of Oworonshoki staged a protest on Monday after their buildings were demolished on Saturday. Aggrieved occupants blocked the Third Mainland Bridge, demanding that the government halt further demolition and compensate victims.
One of the protest leaders, Ayoyinka Oni, described the demolition notice as “illegal,” accusing the government of targeting low-income residents for displacement.
“About 80 per cent of the buildings in Lekki don’t have permits, over 60 per cent of the buildings in the country don’t have permits. Is the government going to take them down? A community that the government abandoned and refused to develop, now that it has prospects, elites have interests and want to turn the place into an elite villa,” he alleged.
Another resident, Ismail Ogunsola, demanded alternatives and compensation for displaced families.
“The issue is not just about permits, and then you demolish people’s houses. What are the alternatives for the thousands of residents displaced? We are also Lagos residents and deserve a decent living, but where are the affordable houses?” Ogunsola asked.
