Over 1,000 residents and owners of structures marked for demolition, as affected by the Ibadan Circular Road (ICR) project, yesterday staged a peaceful protest to call the attention of the government to their plight.
The protesters, including women and children, took to the highway carrying placards and leaves, crying and urging the government to stay action on the proposed 500 metres corridor to be acquired.
The Nation reports that the state government had last Tuesday begun the demolition of houses with the ICR corridor.
No fewer than 500 structures, including residential houses, churches, mosques, among others have been demolished, with over 1,000 additional properties already marked for demolition in Ona Ara and Oluyole local governments.
In all, about 12 villages and communities are to be affected by the demolition.
The affected communities are Fashade, Aba Osho, Igbalefa, Adigbe and Badeku.
Others are: Akamo, Alase, Ojoku, Dare, Isase, Oleke Meji and Ogido.
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The placards read: “Governor Seyi Makinde, please come to our aid”, “No more Circular corridor”, “Mr Governor don’t kill us”, “Circular Road Corridor is massacre”, “No more 150 metres setback”, “Let’s have peace of mind”, “Ijoba ewo wa laanu se”.
The Baale of Onigbinde village, Alhaji Olalude Onigbinde, said the development had rendered residents of the area homeless and in dire need of government help.
He said although the matter was reported to the governor and the late Olubadan Lekan Balogun, their assurances and call for calm by the residents had yielded no result.
He said: “The situation we saw was that we woke up a day and saw bulldozers pulling down our houses and when we asked them they said they wanted to do setback for Circular Road.
“We have been going round places to see where they build express road and we see structures along the route, but in this case, they said they don’t want to see any structure up to 500 metres from the road. “
“We told them that we were not informed earlier and we have built our houses and living there for years. That they should please consider us. And with the situation in the country now, the economic condition and hardship generally. We begged them to help us as poor people and they said no. That they want to go ahead with the plan.
“We went to the Governor’s Office, met him and he visited this place to see things, assuring us to be rest assured that there wouldn’t be any problem. But with what is on ground, there is problem. Many people are sleeping outside already.
“We reported the matter to the late Olubadan and he also assured us that we should stay calm. Now that they have started demolishing some houses, it means it will soon be our turn, even though we don’t know when and we don’t have rest of mind. What we are begging for now is that they should please hold their peace.”
A media consultant, who lives in the affected areas, Soji Gbelekale, said the 75 metres initial setback for the road was well known by most property owners and same was respected.
He lamented that hearing government extended it to 150metres and later to 500metres setback has sent many people homeless and to their early graves.
He said: “We heard about the Circular Road even before we bought the land and again where the demarcation was made. The pillar for marking the metres was conspicuous and everyone buying land around the axis is aware of that. It was pegged with big iron rod and people were given several metres away so that it won’t affect them.
“But later we heard that the 75metres extension to both left and right was going to be extended again to 150 metres both left and right. Everyone was agitated. Initially we thought it was a rumour because it was too sudden and unimaginable.
“Later we heard it would again be extended to 500 metres on both sides of the road. That was actually too much, a whole one kilometre extension called the Circular Road Corridor. We know that will rather make several people homeless.
“We have been praying for this Circular Road project to come alive because we are aware it will bring us rapid development and civilisation because we have suffered underdevelopment that we have to do many things on our own to make sure the place is developed, in terms of road, electricity and things government should do.
“But now the coming of the road has become a real problem for us. Many people are already homeless as many are hospitalised.
“We are now begging the government. This government was known to be humane and people- friendly. That was why we thought the information was initially a rumour. We can only beg and appeal that government should temper justice with mercy. One hundred and fifty metres is already affecting a whole lot of people. Government should please be magnanimous to stop where they are already.”
