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Tag: demolition

  • On Oshodi Market demolition

    Most people think there is only one market at Oshodi in Lagos and this market was in the first week of January demolished by the Lagos State government. There are actually more markets in this ever bustling place, each flowing into another. The one destroyed is known as Owonifari Electronics Market, located directly under the bridge of the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway. For some reason, up to 70% of the traders at the Owonifari Market are from Ihiala in Anambra State and environs. Therefore, I should have more than a passing interest in developments in the market, including its recent demolition. Indeed, I did play some role in the drama surrounding the market in the last two years.

    Towards the end of January 2014, leaders of the Owonifari Market Traders Association visited me in my residence in Lagos with a passionate plea that I speak to the then Lagos State governor, Babatunde Fashola, to postpone the impending demolition which had been planned since 2007 as part of the strategic effort to make Lagos a megacity. The government had reasoned that the open market was awfully located, right under the very busy Oshodi bridge with absolutely no safety facilities. If a tanker had over the years fallen from the bridge, as has in recent times become almost a common occurrence on the Ojuelegba bridge in Lagos, the fatalities would have been unimaginable because of the large number of traders. It had about 500 registered traders, but in reality there were some 2,000 traders at the Owonifari Electronics Market; each trader sublet his or her stall to three others.

    The Lagos State government did provide an alternative market but the traders rejected it for sundry reasons, including the fact that the structures are storey buildings, rather than bungalows which they preferred for ease of moving their goods. They were not persuaded by the explanation that land is a very scarce commodity in Lagos in view of the state’s small geographical size and the exponential growth rate of its population currently put at 21million. Nor were they interested in the argument that electronics dealers in bigger markets on Lagos Island have their stalls in storey buildings, to say nothing about manufacturers in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and elsewhere producing in high-rise buildings. I was to understand from Kalu Onuma, the efficient head of the Ndigbo Lagos secretariat, that the Igbo leadership in Lagos has for long been advising the market leaders unsuccessfully to drop their opposition to doing business in stalls located in storey buildings.

    Frankly, the leadership of the Owonifari Market is difficult. It hired the services of Ben Nwabueze, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and Africa’s most engaging constitutional law scholar as well as the founding secretary general of Ohaneze Ndigbo, in their fight against market relocation. They quickly disagreed. The traders now turned to Jimoh Lasisi,  SAN, a fine gentleman.  He took a dispassionate look at their case and told them that the law was not in their favour, all the more so since the Land Use Act vested land ownership in the state governor. The traders had relied on a letter from an official of the Federal Ministry of Housing to argue that the state government had no right over them since they were operating under a Federal Government bridge. Jimoh asked them to look for a negotiated settlement. That was how they approached me. “These traders do not like the truth or professional advice, so I am surprised that they could meet someone like you”, Lasisi told me when I visited him in his office at Onipanu on Lagos Mainland.

    Immediately the governor set the February 14, 2014 date for a meeting with leaders of the Owonifari Market, I contacted, among other influential Igbo people in Lagos, the following persons to join us: Anya O. Anya, president of Ndigbo Lagos and a multi-award winning professor; President of Aka Ikenga, Goddy Uwazurike, a lawyer; Charles C. Ifeanyi, former deputy chairman of the Council of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry and former president of the Lagos State branch of the Association of Anambra Town Unions who retired from the Customs service as the number three man; Joe Anyigbo, the first African to become an executive director and later acting chief executive of the American petroleum giant, Chevron; Pat Utomi, a highly respected scholar at the Lagos Business School; and Emmanuel Chukwuneta, an engineer and entrepreneur, whose firm was instrumental to the building of the multibillion naira Lagos Trade Fair Complex. Since the meeting was taking place on the Valentine’s Day, my wife had to join us!

    Fashola, serious as ever, had assembled a large team of relevant permanent secretaries, commissioners and special advisers. The atmosphere of the meeting was convivial but certainly business-like. Those of us on the traders team went through the prepared speech once again and agreed on the prayers, but I was taken aback when the traders suggested that I plead with the governor not make any declaratory statement. I was actually infuriated. How could the governor be asked not to make a declaration at such an important meeting? The traders took the opportunity of my private audience with Fashola just a few minutes to the commencement of the meeting to request Chiefs Ifeanyi and Anyigbo, two highly respected traditional title holders in my Ihiala hometown and who are particularly close to me, to prevail on me to change my mind. They succeeded. I, therefore, found myself awkwardly pleading with the governor before this impressive audience not to make a declaratory statement. He must have felt embarrassed, but nevertheless obliged. He took copious notes of every speech.

    Fashola did ask the traders some soul-searching questions: “Do you think, in all honesty, that history will forgive me if a tanker loaded with petrol or kerosene or gas should fall down from the Oshodi bridge and wipe out thousands of you doing business under it? Many of you travel to China and other countries for business, but would you like your partners to visit your shops under the bridge? Would you like your children to join you in trading under the bridge after you have trained them in universities?” Rising to his feet as he was about to depart the hall, the governor added: “You have been in conversation with the state government for years over the relocation of the Owonifari Market without reaching an agreement. You are free to meet me anytime you want me. You have the telephone numbers of the Honourable Commissioner for the Environment, Mr Tunji Bello, and my Special Adviser on Communication and the Media, Mr Hakeem Bello”.

    Owonifari Market leaders left the meeting satisfied. But curiously none has bothered to take my phone calls or return them, let alone visit me, since the meeting. They all ignored my text messages about the need for a follow-up a meeting with the Lagos State govenment. On January 6, my wife called from Lagos while I was still holidaying in my hometown to break the news of the demolition of the Owonifari Electronics Market. Quite a number of the victims are my own relatives.

     

    • Adinuba is head of Discovery Public Affairs Consulting.
  • Demolition: Between traders and Oshodi transformation

    Demolition: Between traders and Oshodi transformation

    Over since the Lagos State Government took a bold step towards the realization of the Oshodi transformation agenda on January 5, 2016 with the demolition of the Owonifari Market within the notorious loop of Oshodi, there have been hues and cries in some quarters over the development.

    While many see the development as long-overdue owing to the need to go in the way of sanity as it was unreasonable to allow a few people to continue to hold the generality of the people into ransom, some others especially the traders in the market and those agitating for them, are of a contrary opinion.

    As a matter of facts, some of the traders, who were not prepared to move to the alternative market provided for them by the government, which is an ultra-modern market in nearby Bolade in Oshodi, had alluded to some reasons to justify their action, which included ‘spiritual activities’ associated with the newly built Isopakodowo Market.

    The traders had equally claimed that the available space in the new market could not accommodate them, while some of the traders actually said they prefer to be relocated to Arena Mall belonging to the Nigerian Army.

    But while that was on-going, the State Government on Thursday came out to defend the relocation of the traders and demolition of the Owonifari Market, saying the actions were taken in the overall interest of public good, safety and security.

    The government recalled that in preparing the minds of the public towards the relocation and demolition, it issued a statement where the actions were brought to the public space before they were embarked upon.

    The government had, in the said statement, said it had commenced the fencing-off of the set-back on Agege Motor Road that stretches from Ilupeju end of Oshodi all the way to the PWD/Ikeja GRA end of the area. The government had further explained that the Owonifari loop would be transformed into an ultra-modern bus terminus with new bus shelters that are befitting of a structured park in a mega city.

    However, not satisfied with the misrepresentation of facts and background of the relocation and demolition, the government again organized a press briefing which was jointly addressed by the State’s Ministries of Information and Strategy, The Environment, Physical Planning and Urban Development, Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, and the Office of Civic Engagement, where it set the record straight.

    According to Lagos State Government, the alternative market stall could conveniently accommodate over 600 shops and hundreds of kee clamps, and that government agreed to subsidize payment by giving shops at the new market at a monthly give away price of N5, 000 to the traders.

    Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Steve Ayorinde said the traders were adequately notified before the exercise took place as required by law, and that government engaged with the leadership of the market severally before carrying out the demolition exercise on Owonifari Market.

    Ayorinde said it was important for people to note that the issue of the market had been on for nothing less than ten years, adding that government had been engaging the leadership of the market to make them realize that it could no longer continue in the manner in which the market was being used.

    He said unfortunately, the leadership of the market, in the last three years, refused to move despite the fact that the new market has over 600 shops apart from the kee clamps which takes the number of people that the market could conveniently accommodate to over a thousand all together.

    Ayorinde said having been satisfied that government had provided a befitting alternative, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, through the Commissioner for Local Government and Community Affairs, invited the leadership of the market to the Executive Chambers and met with them on December 16, 2015, where he reiterated his plans for Oshodi and the need to move the traders to Isopakodowo which as at that time had been ready for a couple of years.

    Giving a further background, the Commissioner said: “A few of them expressed certain misgivings but largely they felt that if their interest would be accommodated within the Isopakodowo Market, that they were willing and ready to move and on our part, we said that the discussion should be ongoing particularly regarding how much they would pay for each store within that market.

    “After that, on Monday December 21, 2015, Governor Ambode went on a tour of that market area particularly at Isopakodowo in company with a few members of the State Exco. Again, we met with the leadership of the market where it was eventually agreed based on the proposition by the leadership that what they were willing to pay for each shop at Isopakodowo was N5, 000.

    “There is nowhere in Lagos where you will agree to be paying N5, 000 per shop not to talk of the central Oshodi, but the Governor agreed with them and we said we were ready to concede after which we now formally served them with a quit notice through the office of the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development,” he said.

    Speaking further, Ayorinde denied allegation that many goods of the traders were destroyed in the demolition exercise, adding that such was far from the truth.

    He said: “The intention of government certainly was not to destroy any goods and we did not destroy any goods because we believe that a good number of the traders, if not all, had moved because they were aware that they needed to move.

    “Government, I should say, will not be blackmailed because we had done everything humanly possible and you know that the hallmark of this government has been compassion. It is a compassionate government.

    “The intention was not to destroy the market or destroy properties or to make life inconvenient for them. We believe very strongly that Isopakodowo market is quite ideal; its a lot bigger store-per-store than where they had been removed now and the aim of government, as we stated earlier, is to ensure that that area of the market conforms with the type of image that we want Lagos to be, which is to return sanity to the place, to beautify the market, to construct a world class bus terminus around that place and to ensure that people who use that place on a daily basis – the commuters, traders, everybody enjoy what it means to go to a market in a mega city.

    “We also believe that the exercise will largely reduce the gridlock that is associated with that area and then the criminalities that were rampant in that Oshodi. What we have done is in the interest of the generality of Lagosians,” Ayorinde said.

    He added: “You will see from the reports that quite a good chunk of the traders acknowledged that they had been properly served and that they were ready to move which was why a good number of them, if not all, parked their things just before the end of last year.

    “Along the line, we got intelligence report that during the holidays there were a number of criminal activities going on in the market and that the place was harbouring criminals and a number of untoward activities which of course necessitated the need to move in immediately to safeguard lives, to safeguard properties and to ensure that there was no breach of peace which was what led to the demolition.”

    Ayorinde added that the demolition actually confirmed the intelligence report as a concrete bunker with arms was discovered underneath the shops.

    Also speaking at the press briefing, Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare said contrary to claims in some quarters, none of the occupants’ properties was destroyed in the demolition exercise.

    He said: “On Tuesday night, we found that all the occupants have complied and moved to the new market. The only one that remained actually called us to say that he was in the East burying his late mother. For that one, we had to evacuate his properties and they are safe with us. So, nothing was destroyed in the exercise. The other shops destroyed were full of garbage so there is no iota of truth in the allegation that goods were destroyed.”

    Adejare further disclosed that the relocation and demolition exercises were the first phase of the Oshodi transformation drive, adding that more adjustments would still be done to other parts of the area to make it conform to modern city-state just like anywhere in the world.

    On his part, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowoshe said the demolished site was not originally designed for market, adding that things went wrong along the line.

    He said the fact that the previous administration could not fully actualize the transformation plan for Oshodi does not preclude the present administration from moving to do the right thing.

    He assured Lagosians that the intention of the government was in the overall interest of the people, and that doing otherwise by succumbing to blackmail would not be in the interest of the generality of the people.

    With the above facts and cogent reasons enumerated by the government why the demolition had to take place to secure Oshodi, which many Lagosians see as a central point to various locations, the traders would have to find other reasons why they should be allowed to remain in a place designated for other meaningful development.

    For now, the government has demonstrated with this demolition its willingness to put the larger interests of the generalty of the people above pecuniary interests .

  • Kuje Market: Traders grieve over demolition

    Kuje Market: Traders grieve over demolition

    Six months after the first phase of Kuje Market was demolished and reconstructed, the second phase of the market has been demolished to pave way for the commencement of the construction of the second phase of the market to be completed in six months.

    Speaking to newsmen during the demolition exercise, the chairman of Kuje Area

    Council, Hon. Ishaku Shaban Tete said the council embarked on the exercise in order to improve the standard of the market and boost business activities in the area council.

    He said before the demolition, the state of Kuje Market was awful; adding that after several deliberations between market/shop owners and the area council, a consensus was reached to the effect that there was need for the establishment of a modern market with state-of-the-art infrastructural facilities to boost the economy of the council.

    Hon. Tete further said he was sad that some traders were displaced during the clearing of the site. But he added that measures have been put in place to cushion the effects the demolition would have on the traders; pending when the developer would complete the project.

    The council chief also emphasised that the action of the council was not to witch-hunt anyone; rather aimed at making life better and business more beneficial for all.

    Hon. Tete expressed optimism that when the project is completed, everyone will heave a sigh of relief, as the challenge would have been a thing of the past.

    The council chief informed the traders and stakeholders that some of the benefits that would be derived when the market is completed would include sanity, better organisation; easy accessibility to the market in times of emergency, police station to settle minor disputes and a bank to encourage traders to embrace the savings culture.

    He appealed to traders and residents to co-operate with the council and the developer as the market is being reconstructed. The public private partnership (PPP) committee has already taken stock of shop owners and traders in the first phase of the market, so that they would be considered when the shops are completed in the second phase.

    In a chat with Abuja Review, the Secretary of the PPP committee/quantity surveying, Mr. Sunday Yaro said the committee was working assiduously to ensure that the completion period given by the developer is attainable.

    He urged residents of Kuje to expect good governance and democracy dividends from the present administration.

    Mr. Onah Wilfred and Mrs. Nkechinyere Okafor, some of the traders who spoke with our correspondent said they were happy with the development, even as they said the time given for them to evacuate their goods was very short. They appealed to the council to extend the time to January next year to enable them to sell the goods they purchased for the Christmas season.

    On his part, the Chairman Kuje Traders’ Association Alhaji Yunusa Isa said proper consultations and meetings were held with the genuine traders of the market before the demolition exercise. He appealed to the affected traders to be patient with the council as the project is for the development of all.

    Also speaking, the traditional ruler of the area, the Gomo of Kuje, His Royal Highness (HRH), Alhaji Haruna Tanko Jibrin has appealed to government at all levels to be committed to their constitutional responsibilities of providing infrastructural facilities and services for the people in line with the needs, yearnings and aspirations of the low income earners.

  • Demolition: Residents of Ogun community lament

    Residents of Ilepa area, a suburb of Ogun State are counting their losses as properies worth billions of Naira were destroyed during the demolition of over 25,000 housing units built on a 250 hectares of land allegedly by the Ogun State Government. The exercise had rendered countless people homeless. This is the aftermath of the demolition of buildings allegedly built on government land.   The demolition was said to have been carried out to enable the government to hand over the land to the original owner, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), which had, since November 28, 1981, possessed the certificate of occupancy (C of O) from the Ogun State Government.

    The residents of the area told Southwest Report that the land has a layout and survey plan No. BOP/OG/95/D1 drawn by one Surveyor S. A. Oluwoye (JP) dated March 25, 1995, in favour of Alhaji Mudasiru Mustapha, Chief Nofiu Isiaka, Chief Matthew Afunkun and others who sold the land to them.

    The aggrieved residents lamented that individuals bought the land without full knowledge and understanding that it was a government acquired land instead of belonging to the people that sold it to them.

    They maintained that the exercise has rendered them homeless. It has also caused the death of some victims due to shock and heart attack.

    Remnants of victims’ belongings were seen scattered on streets as they search for possible alternative accommodation.  Some would-be victims of the demolition exercise were seen removing roofs, ceilings and other valuable properties from their buildings so that they won’t lose all.

    Onlookers and sympathisers came from far and near to commiserate with the residents over the loss of lives and properties. Motorcyclists hike their price to conveyed people to the ugly scene.

    Speaking on the incident, the Shepherd in charge of Restoration Baptist Church, Ilepa, Pastor Wale Kehinde, appealed to the Federal Government and other state governors to come to the aid of the residents by pleading to Ogun State Governor Amosun to temper justice with mercy. He said the residents are ready to comply with any terms and condition either by the state government or the right owner of the land (LUTH) if their buildings could be prevented from being demolished.

    The clergyman said: “Scores have become refugees as a result of the exercise, saying that only two per cent out of the 100 per cent demolition target in the community had been carried out. He added that six other communities would also be involved. Many of them would have nothing to fall back on if their houses are demolished.”

    Other communities, according to Pastor Kehinde that would be involved in the demolition exercise include Pakoto, Ojusango, Onihale, Iyana Cele and Abata. He urged the Ogun State Government to have pity on the masses, saying many of the residents built their houses with their pension arrears after long stint in the civil service.

    Also the women leader, Community Development Association, Mrs Bola Adigun appealed to Ogun State Government to have fellow-feeling for the residents. She said the residents were ready to abide by any rules, terms and conditions of government and LUTH even to pay extra money for the land or paying royalty to government or LUTH as long as their houses would be spared.

    She said: “The few days of the demolition exercise has caused the masses huge losses. Government should imagine the number of people that would be rendered homeless after the completion of the demolition exercise. No fewer than four persons live in each building, and that will amount to millions of people if multiplied by the number of houses to be involved in the demolition.”

    She therefore appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, state governors, leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid by appealing to Governor Ibikunle Amosun and management of LUTH to have mercy on them, saying this will be a great loss to the huge population if all buildings on 250 hectares of land are demolished.

  • ‘Small’ demolition of a ‘giant’ legal breach

    The culture of demolition of houses in Nigeria since 1999 has left citizens in a vain search for an answer to a constitutionally reprehensible question of whether democracy is actually a better system of government than the various other systems. The practice of democracy in some nations may be a mockery of the much cherished system of government yet to the majority of the civilized nations of the world democracy remains the best system.

    Democracy, especially representative democracy endorsed by the Nigerian State, gives every citizen a voice through his elected representatives at all tiers of government. The bedrock of democracy is the rule of law which abhors the rule of force and any act which does not conform to the due process of law. The constitution which is the grundnorm donates a right to citizens and all persons in section 44(1) thus:-

    “No moveable property or any interest in an immoveable property shall be taken possession of compulsorily and no right over or interest in any such property shall be acquired compulsorily in any part of Nigeria except in the manner and for the purposes prescribed by law that, among other things-

    (a) Requires the prompt payment of compensation therefor, and

    (b) Gives to any person claiming such compensation a right of access for the determination of his interest in the property and the amount of compensation to a court of law or tribunal or body having jurisdiction in that part of Nigeria.”

    Whether our political office holders are mindful of the rights guaranteed by chapter IV of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and the freedom attached to the rights which are only circumscribed by the constitution is yet to be seen. It appears that in Nigeria might is still right and “Their Excellencies” believe that government can do no wrong or perhaps they are too busy to even look at our laws including the constitution of Nigeria the provisions of which they swore to uphold.

    The consistent demolition of buildings in Nigeria without recourse to the due process of the law is a violent violation of the social contract our political office holders have with the people. Many atimes, the demolition gang will not even allow owners or occupiers of houses to evacuate their moveable belongings from the buildings before pulling them down. Demolition has sent so many souls to their early graves, rendered thousands of families homeless and created serious apprehension in the minds of many as to what will become the fate of their house any time at the pleasure of the public chief executive officer.

    Between 2003 and 2007 the Federal Capital Territory witnessed the worst litany of cases of demolition of buildings under the then government. The government gave plausible reasons, such as clearing structures from sewage lines, to maintain the statutory distance from electricity high tension, to remove structures from road corridors, to remove structures not approved by the development control authority among other reasons. Sadly, the victims of the demolition were not accorded fair hearing before their houses were pulled down. Those who went to court had their houses pulled down irrespective of the pendency of their suits and it was a huge frustration of station for the victims. Judgments of court of competent jurisdiction were not obeyed and it was a situation of anarchy in the Federal Capital Territory but the big men never gave a hoot.

    The situation in Abuja went the way it did then because of the legal status of Abuja. From the enactment of the Federal Capital Territory Act on the 4th of February, 1976 the area comprising the Federal Capital Territory absolutely vests in the Federal Government of Nigeria. Section 1 (3) of the Federal Capital Territory Act provides:-

    “The area contained in the Capital Territory shall, as from the commencement of this Act, cease to be a portion of the States concerned and shall henceforth be governed and administered by or under the control of the Government of the Federation to the exclusion of any other person or authority whatsoever and the ownership of the lands comprised in the Federal Capital Territory shall likewise vest absolutely in the Government of the Federation.”

    With the above provision, the Federal Capital Territory became for everybody and for nobody. (Credit to PMB). It then follows that the sentimental and emotional attachment to states by indigenes of the states became inapplicable to Abuja. Those whose houses were demolished in Abuja at the time, painful as it was, took solace in the fact that they had other houses in their states and those who did not, began to erect structures in the states believing that they would be more secured. Taking the demolition culture to the states the same way it plagued Abuja may not be as easy as in nobody’s Abuja, but to Kaduna goes the demolition bulldozer.

    The just concluded election saw the APC come into power with a ‘change’ slogan that rocked Nigeria like a wildfire culminating in a near total victory for the party in the North of Nigeria. The enthusiasm that greeted the victory of the APC in the centre and the states was unprecedented.

  • El-Rufai warns agencies against blanket marking of buildings for demolition

    El-Rufai warns agencies against blanket marking of buildings for demolition

    Kaduna State Governor Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has warned agencies involved in the recovery exercise of government owned institution’s lands that there must be no blanket marking of any neighborhood, layout or community just on account of proximity to the historic boundaries of public institutions.

    The warning to the agencies was contained in a statement signed by the Governor’s Special Assistant, Media and Publicity, Samuel Aruwan and made available to newsmen in Kaduna yesterday.

    Part of the statement reads thus: “The Governor’s written approval must be obtained before any action is undertaken to initiate recovery processes based on the surveys and maps showing these encroachments.

    “Approvals for necessary action will not be granted except it is evident that the layouts containing the excisions are illegal or irregular, and are clearly inimical to the purpose of the affected institutions in such a manner that cannot be prudently remedied.

    “Where the boundaries that have survived encroachment are considered sufficient for the functioning of these public institutions, other actions short of recovery will be taken on the encroached lands.

    “Due notice must be taken of the historic nature of the encroachments, and the longevity of some of the buildings and layouts that are a result of encroachment but are longstanding, and do not manifestly impede the safe and smooth running of the affected public institutions.

    “There must be no blanket marking of any neighborhood, layout or community just on account of proximity to the historic boundaries of public institutions.

    “Clear procedures for establishing the validity of title and development approvals for buildings must be established and respected.

    “Local Government Councils are to note that they have no role in the land recovery exercise, beyond gathering and forwarding information to KASUPDA, which is the mandate agency for town planning and enforcement.

    “Government directs scrupulous compliance with these instructions in implementing the land recovery exercise.”

    Aruwan stated that the government appreciates the understanding and support of the general public for the land recovery exercise. Citizens are encouraged to remain engaged, and to report any fears and concerns about the land recovery exercise to the government.”

    Aruwan’s statement further added that: “The Kaduna State Government has announced its determination to recover lands belonging to public institutions. This applies to lands that have been illegally excised, carved-out or alienated in a manner that contradicts the security, orderly environment and expansion prospects of the affected schools, hospitals and other public institutions.

    “In restoring the integrity of these lands, the Government has taken steps to ensure that the recovery exercise is conducted in a fair and orderly manner that upholds public interest and conduces to social harmony.

    “Therefore all agencies involved in the implementation of the land recovery exercise must note and abide by these considerations,” the statement reads.

  • SOS to Buhari over planned demolition

    Some indigenous residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) seeking to save their shops from demolition have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene and keep the bulldozers away.

    The residents, who were mainly youths, said there were “renewed moves” by the Federal Capital Development Authourity (FCDA) to pull down their shops in the Apo resettlement area.

    They explained that the planned demolition will cut off their sources of livelihood and cripple the local economy, ultimately leading to multi-faceted crisis.

    Comrade Daniel Vudabo, leader of the youths who gathered at the resettlement with intention of staging a peace protest, said that the shops in the area remained the indigenes only sources of income, since their farmlands have been taken away from them.

    “We had no other choice, but to collect loans from community banks to build this shops, so that we can rent them out and use the money to cater for our families and send our children to schools. We do have any other source of income and now that the FCDA is coming to demolish our shops, we are confused.

    “We were living comfortably at Garki village. We did not beg them to relocate us to this place, because in Garki we have our shops and farms, now that the government brought of us without any alternative sources of income, what do they want us to do?” he said.

    Vudabo appealed to President Buhari to call the FCDA officials to order, so that the officials would not as a result of their selfish ambition, spoil the good works his government has started. We know President Buhari is a listening leader and he will hear our cry,” he said.

    The President of Greater Gbagyi Development Initiatives (GG-DIN), Prince Gimba Gbaiza, described the actions of the FCDA officials as improper and wicked.

    “If anything thing has to be done, they have to follow the right procedure of the ressetlement. If anybody wants to demolish our shops they have to write to us properly and not to act based on their selfish interest.

    “We have the right to resist any demolition attempt, but we choose to give them the opportunity to explain to us why they want carry out the demolition and yet no concrete reason was given by the FCDA.

    “We are victims of injustices done by the previous administration of the FCT and we have cried out to the government endlessly and nobody cares to listen to us. We will not stop in Mobolising ourselves if eventually the FCDA comes.

    “Imagine, they took people’s houses, they could not give them better houses, they took one hectares of land belonging to one man and they gave him 50 by 50. Their farm lands where taking away without alternatives farm lands and when the people sort for an alternative way of income and you come with the bulldoze to demolish their shops, that is injustice,” he said.

  • Residents seek demolition of their homes

    Residents seek demolition of their homes

    How safe is House 11 on Ademuyiwa Street in Oyingbo, Lagos Mainland? Residents of the street believe the three-storey building is uninhabitable.

    They have urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to order its demolition “for safety reason”.

    Part of the building owned by the Gbajabiamilas collapsed last Wednesday around 11.15am.

    The resdients expressed concern over the dilapidated structure which houses 44 flats.

    Labourers were seen patching the collapsed part of the building at the weekend.

    According to the residents, the agent allegedly handled four other projects that collapsed in some parts of the state recently.

    Speaking with The Nation Ganiyu Bulugbe, who once lived in the house, said he didn’t enjoyed his stay, adding that he paid for five years before he knew he made a wrong choice.

    “I learnt that it was a month after they vacated some tenants on the pretext of demolishing it that I rented the apartment. Having spent almost three years, I was given quit notice that the building was marked for demolition again. I remember when I tried to hang my kitchen shelf, the wall cracked and I brought out an empty cement sack from the wall. When we unscrewed anything, sand came out. It is that bad,” Bulugbe said.

    A family member denied the report, saying the family only renovated the affected part of the building.

    He said: “Our house was never marked for demolition. The building is over 10 years and it is strong. It was during yesterday’s renovation that part of the building collapsed. We are only expanding the rooms and afterwards we will place it on rent.”

    A woman, simply called Mama, who witnessed the incident, said she was glad there was no casualty.

    “My husband and I were in the sitting room when we heard a huge sound. We fell on each other thinking the building had finally collapsed. Immediately, I thought of my son who just stepped out of the house. As I speak, they have three tenants living there. What if they were at home, would they have died? How can one build a structure and erect a pillar afterwards? It is not done. I was surprised to see they have placed vacancies on the building today (Thursday) after what happened. I urge the government to intervene because they have been claiming they are relations of the governor so we have no point,” Mama said.

  • Indigenes appeal to Buhari to end demolition

    Natives of Kpaduma communities in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the incoming administration of Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to end the incessant demolition of communities in the territory.

    Speaking on behalf of the natives at a news conference on Kpaduma communities’ court case against the Senator Bala Mohammed-led administration, Secretary to Kpaduma communities, Simon Baba-Yerima said with the incoming administration, there is hope for the natives against marginalisation and threat of lives by the present administration.

    According to Baba-Yerima, a situation where ancestral homes of the natives are demolished and they are driven out to look for where to reside, their farmlands are taken from them without adequate compensation, is inhumane to the natives of the FCT and should be discontinued in order for peace to reign in the territory.

    “So, we pray that the incoming administration of Gen. Buhari will put a stop to the menace and inhumane treatment that is meted on the natives of the FCT by the present administration. We have suffered a lot in the hands of this government.

    “We believe that as a leader who has the passion for the masses and not only for the high class in the society, he will listen to our cries and bring soccour to the FCT natives. We are also asking that as when the new administration comes on board, we should be carried along in order for things pertaining to the FCT to go smoothly for the benefit of everybody.

    “We are also pleading that the new minister of the FCT should be a native of the FCT. He should be chosen from any of the nine ethnic groups in Abuja, so that our rights will be protected. If we have a minister from the FCT, he will understand our problems and fashion out proper means to solve them without threat to the lives of anybody in the territory,” he said.

     

  • Pain in Cross River community over demolition of houses

    Pain in Cross River community over demolition of houses

    THE people of Etap Ayip Kasuk II Qua Clan, a community of over 30,000 inhabitants in Calabar Municipality of Cross River State, have decried alleged unlawful demolition of their houses and properties by the state government without prior notice or any form of compensation.

    Village Head of Eta Ayip Kasuk Qua Clan II, His Highness Chief Ededem Ayito, said the situation has rendered them homeless.

    He lamented: “No one came to us prior to the time of the demolition, neither was any notice in form of a letter of warning sent to us.  All we saw were officials from Town Planning acting under the authority of Cross River State Ministry of Lands.

    16 Feature 14-02-2015.“The only money that was ever paid to my community was N650,000 for the economic trees cut down during the inception of the construction of the new airport bypass. No other money has been given ever since and now they have started demolishing our houses.

    “They want to take over 150 metres of both sides of the road, which will in no small way affect more than 500 houses and render thousands more homeless. Many people are now living in anxiety because they can come at any time for mass demolition.”

    The secretary of Etap Ayip Town Council, Prince Innocent Agbor Okon, said all the landlords in the community had lodgment certificates and had been living in the area for more 20 years.

    He said: “Many people in the community are now stranded, and this is a huge threat to the very existence of the people of Etay Ayip Kasuk  II Qua Clan. We need the ministry involved to follow due process in this matter and do what is right. As it stands, we don’t even know our fate.”

    A landlord in the area, Mr. James Effiong, also said it was like a movie when they came to his place and started punching the walls of his house.

    “I had to move my wife and kids to my brother’s place for safety, although they only created holes on my building which they only marked on Monday and backdated to December 19, 2014 without any notice, but they didn’t touch my neighbour’s house because he is a naval officer. I just believe it is political because I don’t see why they would skip some houses and demolish others.”

    When contacted on the phone, the Commissioner for Lands and Housing, Surveyor Ralph Uche, said all compensations had been taken care of.

    He said a company was in charge of compensations.

    Uche said the only challenge they had initially was funds and when the money was available, they would swing into action.