The Lagos state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has charged the Lagos state government to ensure fairness over the demolition of 15 workshops at Otumara Mechanic Village, located at Costain Ebute-Metta.
The chapter accused the state government of forcefully taking over the mechanic villages it previously allocated. It threatens legal action if the action is not reversed.
Addressing a press conference, NLC Chairperson, Lagos State Council, Funmi Sessi, in the presence of its affiliate, the Amalgamated Union of Motor Mechanics and Technicians of Nigeria (AUOMMATON), whose members’ source of livelihood is being threatened by the demolition, said it was high time the government treated people fairly.
Noting that the workers are critical components in the trade they have chosen to do, she said if the government takes their place of business, the state would be prone to an increase crime rate, as the rate of unemployment would increase.
“Since injustice has been done, it is either the government returns them to their base or relocates them and compensates them adequately. These are people who voted you into office, don’t take their source of livelihood away from them.
“For NLC, we will not relent. Letters have been written without responses. I expect Mr governor to reach out to us. Ministry of Transportation should be warned in taking laws into their hands. We will take every step to redress the injustice to these people, they are now at home and cannot do mechanic work in the houses, it is not permitted and where they were allocated, government and unknown people have taken it away from them. We will fight it until we get justice for them,” Sessi said.
Explaining their ordeal, the state chairman and secretary, Julius Lawal and Abdulrazzaq Yusus, said the land was approved for use as mechanic workshops by the former governor of Lagos State, Lateef Jakande, on Sept 21, 1980, and allotted to them by the state’s Ministry of Transportation at different times since 1989.
They said each workshop comprises mechanics, panel bearers, electricians, spray painters and air conditioning repairers.They claimed the occupants are permanent allottees of various workshops occupied by them at the Lagos state-approved mechanic village.
They said the land then was a swamp site which they sand-filled and developed with some physical structures, making it a modern mechanic village to meet up with the greater Lagos developmental project of the state government.
Since the allocation of the land, the workers alleged, they had observed all obligations, including the payment of the yearly ground rents to the state.
However, they said, on February 11 and 18, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) served a contravention notice on the Otumara communities in Lagos Mainland Local Government Area while the Ministry of Physical and Urban Planning posted a two-day eviction notice.
They lamented that despite visiting the Ministry of Transportation the next day to express their ordeal, some hoodlums and officers suspected to be Lagos state security personnel and private interest individuals, claiming to be acting on the instructions of the Ministry of Physical and Urban Planning, came with caterpillars to demolish their workshops.
The mechanics claimed that their pleas that their workshops were not marked for demolition fell on deaf ears, alleging that they were chased away with a dangerous weapon, and our means of livelihood were demolished.”
They said despite several letters that have been written and submitted through their lawyer, nothing has been done. To this end, the workers urged Sanwo-Olu to hear their cries as their means of livelihood were being taken away from them.
Counsel to the union, Jiti Ogunye, said that a policy already established over 40 years ago had been undermined.
“If not, we will be in court, no matter how long it will take. We will fight until justice is done. This is condemnable and not acceptable in any decent society. They are legitimate owners of the land. Government should be well sensitised,” he said.
