The administration of the first civilian Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, scored a political point with the construction of low-cost housing units in several locations in the state. While some residents got their flats by lucky dips, others rented from original landlords. But since 1983 when these estates were constructed, some houses are yet to be renovated by their owners, others are distressed, OKWY IROEGBU-CHIKEZIE, who toured some of the estates, reports
In the heydays of Jakande estates in Lagos State, people scrambled for the flats in the estates sited in areas with perceived large population. The flats were ridiculously cheap compared with what is obtainable today; and they created many landlords. The estates, then, were the only places one would find a block of six flats with six landlords.
But that was then; the euphoria has gone down as the years pass with each eating into the value of the buildings and flats as the owners refused to maintain them.
The roads in most of the estates are bad with many overtaken by weeds to the extent that Okada riders find it difficult to meander through. Residents live in squalor. From the Jakande Estate in Oke-Afa, with over 2,000 flats and Aye in Isolo, to Iponri, Barracks, Agege, Meiran, Abeasan, Iyana Ipaja, Adeniji Adele, Ketu, Ajah and others, the story is the same — broken structures and severe deterioration of the environment.
Though the management of the estates has been ceded to Lagos Building Investment Corporation (LBIC), most residents are still waiting for the government to provide not only the necessary facilities but also to give a face-lift to their flats. But the government has asked the residents to give their flats a face-lift.
The estate at Oke-Afa, Isolo seems to be the worst of the lot. Two weeks ago, one of the buildings collapsed killing two sisters. The rainy and dry seasons present considerable challenge to residents of the estate. During the rains, the entrance to the estate is usually flooded, creating hardship for pedestrians and motorists. Even roadside offices and shops are not spared from the chaos. Motorists use one lane at particular periods on the road that leads to the estate from Isheri Osun Junction as the un-tarred road becomes extremely muddy at certain times in the year.
During the dry season, clouds of dust envelop shops on the streets. The blocks of flats behind shops also get their share of the dust.
A resident said: “Basically, most people in this place know too well that this is not a perfect place to live. But they also contended that this estate can’t be as terrible as other areas in the state. There has been a gradual emergence of new blocks in the estate but they are still in the minority. Commerce is not entirely alienated from the area as almost every block has make-shift shops creating a kind of eyesore. It’s difficult to imagine if there is any regard to town planning and building regulations. Small-time traders, shop owners, schools, clinics and other small office dominate every part of the estate, especially the roadsides. Even in its poor state, the rents are not as low as one can imagine.”
A tenant, Mr Raheem Imodu, living in one of the old three-bedroom flats, said he pays N180,000 per annum though he buys water from water vendors while Mrs. Ifeoma Okoli, who lives in a two-bedroom flat pays N200,000 yearly. Her regret, however, is that no tenant is allowed to pound yam on the flats for fear that it may affect the structural integrity of the building. The notion is that the buildings were built without too much adherence to standards and quality as it was mass produced.
Residents, Okoli complained are not allowed to use generating sets on the flats except to place them on the ground floor no matter how many floors one needs to climb down and up to attend to the generator. She pleaded with the government to assist the residents to check the integrity of most of the buildings at the estate as most are already showing signs of distress.
A plot of land goes for N4.5million as against N375, 000 as at 2002, according to Mrs. Patricia Adeyemi, when her husband bought the plot of land that they built their bungalow.
For some residents at Jakande Estate in Mile 2, Amuwo- Odofin, the estate is the place to live though they claim outsiders may claim otherwise.
One of the residents in block 4 zone A, Mr Niyi said he has lived in the estate for 10 years after his father won their flat in a lottery. He stressed that their estate is different from other Jakande estates in terms of quality of construction and so have nothing to fear regarding building collapse. He, however, asked for adequate protection for residents by night marauders who visit them occasionally. Another resident said she moved into the estate some 17 years ago but confessed that some buildings are in bad shape and asked relevant government agencies to do more monitoring in the estate to identify distressed buildings.
Another resident in Block 16 Zone C, Mr Ibrahim Babalola, who lives in a rented two bedroom flat for N350,000 per year since 10 years ago, pleaded with the government to construct and rehabilitate the drainages in the estate.
Udoma Okon said he rented his apartment for N500,000 for two years in Block 16 Zone A. He, however, called on the government to refurbish the buildings – majority of which he described as an eye-sore.
Though Jakande Estate is wearing out daily, many residents are unwilling to leave even despite the fact that their lives are in danger. This is probably why when a building is even at its terminal stages some residents still refuse to evacuate banking on ‘God’ to protect them as it happened two years ago when the state government had to forcefully relocate residents of Princess Estate on the lsland to save lives and properties. The same scenario played itself out at Jakande Estate, Isolo were a building that had been previously marked for demolition by the planning authorities were ignored by the residents, which resulted to avoidable casualties.
Little wonder that recently when tragedy struck at Jakande Estate, it left in its wake trail of tears as a woman lost two of her children and sustained bruises.
By now ‘If l had known’ will be one of the thoughts going through the mind of the 68-year-old Mrs. Adebisi Coker, who lost her two daughters, who incidentally were her only children (Miss Toyin, 30 and Bukky, 25) at Jakande Low Cost Housing Estate, Isolo, Lagos on November 21. The Nation gathered from neighbours, that the lady had three additional houses in the estate, which rent she has just increased before moving into this almost derelict building that incidentally claimed the lives of her children.
As if Mother Nature was on the offensive and arranged the fate of the young ladies, the eldest, Bukky, was to be on duty in the hospital she worked on the night of the incident but somehow she sought permission to be excused from work and got her colleague to stand in for her in one of the government hospitals in the state. The younger sister was undergoing her National Youth Service. Sadly for both of them, their youth and dreams were cut short in their sleep. Unconfirmed reports said their mother worked with an oil company.
A neighbour, who didn’t want his name in print, said about 11pm on that fateful day, when he came and saw that the building had shrunk and was peeling off, raised the alarm and called all the tenants to leave but only the victims’ mother insisted that nothing would happen at least until the next day as it was already late to start looking for where to take refuge with her daughters.
She was also quoted to have said that her daughters were already sleeping and she could not wake them. While some residents, who spoke to The Nation pitied her almost hopeless condition, others were full of harsh words for her for what they called intransigence, wondering how everybody hurriedly evacuated the building and she insisted to stay until the next day.
Though Mrs. Coker lost her daughters in the building collapse, she, however, made it alive with few scratches. But what was in the mind of many is what kind of life she would live thereafter. She lived for her two daughters and now they are gone.What does life hold for a widow in this harsh climate? She said much about herself when the tragic news was broken to her last Tuesday at the Lagoon Hospital.
Though her priest, church members and relations have been lifting her up through prayers, she is going to be faced with a grim future, which may not hold much hope for her.
The other side to the tragedy is the apparent inaction of the government, according to observers, who wondered why the government did not order the immediate evacuation of residents from the building even after it was allegedly marked for demolition because of its derelict nature.
