The landlords of Agric and Owutu in Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and the council chairman to stop the proposed demolition of their buildings following the issuance of a seven-day notice to vacate same.
At a protest at the Governor’s Office, Alausa, the protesters alleged that their houses were marked for another round of demolition, five years after the houses were partly demolished.
The landlords’ coordinator, Mr. Mustapha Abdulganiu, explained that the Akinwunmi Ambode- led administration met with them in 2018, showing the road construction plans, which involved the demolition of parts of their houses, with the promise of compensation but nothing was given to them.
He said they were surprised that the Sanwo-Olu administration wants to, again, demolish their re-erected buildings after the near-completion of the Agric-Isawo Road.
He begged the government to address the issue swiftly by honouring the agreement they had in 2018.
Abdulganiu claimed that some people were using the road construction, misleading the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), Ministry of Works and Ministry of Physical Planning, to render them homeless.
In a similar protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly last Tuesday, the House promised that no building would be brought down without due diligence and adequate compensation.
Abdulganiu, who was in a wheel chair, alleged that the officials of the ministry had been compromised by land grabbers, and LAMATA to redesign the road that was almost completed.
They residents made similar allegations when they took their protest to the Chairman of Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area, Mr. Kazeem Sulaimon.
They alleged that NURTW, Market Women Association and land grabbers in the local government connived some the officials of the ministry, who helped to re-design the road.
The landlords said they had reconstructed their houses into two-storey buildings after the state government partly demolished them five years ago.
On the allegation of the landlords, Sulaimon said it might be true. He said: “Some people actually came to me, claiming to be the original owners of the land and that they had secured a court judgment in their favour. They said they wanted to partner the Local Council to construct a shopping mall on the said land. I declined their request because I don’t want troubles. I will never dabble into land matters. It could be the same people who are behind this, only God knows.’’
Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, assured the Owutu/Agric landlords that the state would not demolish any building without due diligence or adequate compensation.
Obasa, who was represented by Hon. Bonu Solomon (Badagry Constituency 2) and about 10 members, said neither would the state hide under the guise of road construction or any other developmental projects to rob residents of their legitimate properties. He assured them that justice would be done.
He thanked the residents for being law abiding and pledged that the House, as representative of the people, would look into their case.
Addressing the lawmakers on the premises of the Assembly, Abdulganiu appealed to them to assist them to secure the reconstructed structures from being demolished by some men hiding under the state government to commit crimes.
He said: “We are taken by surprise to witness another strange red marks for demolition on our buildings again, when it is obvious that the setbacks and stipulated highway distance are observed and maintained in respect of the road construction exercise.
“We find it absurd, inconceivable and inconvincible that after the road construction, some agents of the Lagos State Government working on the road had earlier demolished part of houses around the area five years ago, with property owners not compensated, despite promises, steps are again being taken to unjustifiably make people homeless with another round of demolition.
“We are surprised that, after many had managed to renovate the remains of their partly demolished structures, in line with the authorised setbacks, another set of construction workers suddenly surfaced without notice, to hide under the Lagos State Government to commit heinous crime against innocent citizens.
“Our findings revealed that the intended demolition is being surreptitiously planned by some unscrupulous but influential men and women within the Ikorodu West LCDA, including leaders of transport unions who are conniving with the construction company to rob the landlords of their properties that were not ordinarily affected by the construction work.”
