Lagos State Won’t Demolish Houses Without Due Diligence Or Compensation – Assembly Assures Residents

Lagos State House of Assembly has assured residents that it will not demolish any building without due diligence or appropriate compensation, either under the guise of road construction or any other developmental projects.

The Speaker of the House, Honorable Mudashiru Obasa gave the assurance while addressing the landlords and residents of Agric, Owutu community who besieged the Assembly on Thursday to protest against another attempt to demolish their houses for the second time in five years because of the Owutu-Isawo-Arepo road construction.

Obasa who was represented by Hon. Bonu Solomon (Badagry constituency 2) and about ten other Assembly members thanked the residents for being law abiding and pledged that the House will look into their case as true representatives of the people.

Owutu residents who trouped out in large number as early as 9.00am comprised many Octogenarian men and women as well as several youths, urged the Lagos Assembly to leave beyond leap service, saying they had been served a 7-day notice by the Ministry of Physical Planning without prior notice or any meeting.

The spokesman for the residents, a wheelchair-bound Mr Ganiyu Mustapha said they were apprehensive because the acknowledgement copy of the petition brought to the Assembly had earlier submitted on August 3rd to the Assembly, the governor’s office and the Ministry of Works without any response, stressing their suspicion that those behind the idea of demolition were working to ensure their petition never saw the light of the day.

In his words, “It all started about five years ago during Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. We were met and told they needed to demolish part of our houses in public interest and we agreed since it was for the development of the State. They promised compensation, but less than twenty percent of us were compensated, yet we didn’t protest.

“No that the road is above 95 percent completion, they just came again. They started marking our houses without any notice or formal meeting. All we saw was a seven-day notice to evacuate our houses. We suspect foul play. Our findings show that those behind the planned demolition are the Chairman, Ikorodu West LCDA, members of National Union of Road Transport Workers, the Market Women Association, and the Baale. They have been able to successfully compromise the staff of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Ministry of Works to come with a new design for the road construction that is nearing completion.

Mr Mustapha explained that the Ikorodu constituency representatives during Governor Ambode and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Hon S.O.B Agunbiade and Hon Adetokunbo Ogunleye had at different occasions visited the area and assured them the buildings in question were not affected by the construction. He therefore wondered how those behind the sinister move were still able to have their way through the ministry to get the initial plan of the road redesigned.

An Octogenarian, Alhaji Mustapha Salami who also spoke on behalf of the landlords said the move of the ministries and the construction company could only have been an after thought. According to him, “When they demolished our houses five years ago, they extended the roads and shifted the electric poles, we packed the remnants and rebuilt our houses. We spent hundreds of millions, some took loans from banks, others got property developers to reconstruct their houses into two-story buildings and shopping complex. So how can they come back now to tell us to vacate the buildings they approved within seven days?”, he queried.

Alhaji Salami who said he had been sick since he heard the bad news begged the lawmakers to come to their aid, so the powerful people won’t reap from where they did not sow. According to him, such act of wickedness should never be allowed to be committed against the aged and the vulnerable individuals.

Honorable Solomon again reassured the residents that their complaints would be given speedy treatment, even as he assured them that no one, no matter highly placed will cheat them in Lagos State.