• As Makoko residents, Owode Onirin traders face eviction
• Group urges state to suspend action

Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagos State, Joe Igbokwe, has appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to address the complaints about the demolition of Igbo-owned property in the state. Igbokwe appealed in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

The former Special Adviser to the Governor on Drainage and Water Resources said he had been inundated with hundreds of calls from Igbo people in the state about the demolition of their property. Igbokwe noted that, as the “leader of Ndigbo in APC Lagos”, he felt compelled to appeal to the governor to address the matter.

According to him, Igbo people have contributed immensely to the development of Lagos, dating back decades, and their welfare must be assured by the state government. He said: “Hundreds of Igbo in Lagos have called me hours on end to complain of losing their houses. I am besieged every day on this matter.

“As the leader of Ndigbo in APC Lagos, I am appealing to my leader, my principal, Governor Sanwo-Olu, to look into the matter and find an amicable solution to the problem.”

Igbokwe also urged Igbo people in Lagos to observe due diligence when acquiring property in the state to avoid demolition, saying: “This is my advice to the Igbo community in Lagos. If you want to buy land in Lagos, please do some due diligence. Get a lawyer to search for you in the Ministry of Lands in Alausa to know if the land is for sale or is reserved for other purposes.

“If possible, go and buy old houses, pull them down and rebuild. I am speaking from experience.”
IGBOKWE spoke just as stakeholders at a press briefing yesterday at the International Press Centre, Ogba, accuse Lagos State Government of inhuman displacement of poor people in the state and their places taken over by the elite.

The stakeholders include a member of End Bad Governance Movement, Lagos State, Hassan Taiwo; Assistant Executive Director, Corporate Accountability and Public Participation (CAPPA), Zikora Ibeh, Coordinator, Makoko Waterfront Community, Israel Idowu, and others.

They accused the state government of inhuman displacement of the poor and allowing the elite to take over their places. Government officials had argued that waterfront settlements were unsafe and environmentally hazardous.

But the stakeholders and human rights groups question the fate of the alleged $200 million World Bank loan meant for slum upgrading, including Makoko.

They asked whether the sand-filling and new structures on the demolished land were for them, or for investors who never lived on the lagoon.
MEANWHILE, Housing Development Advocacy Network (HDAN) has expressed deep concern over the ongoing demolition of homes in the Makoko area of Lagos State, which has left many residents displaced and uncertain about their future.

Speaking on the development, the Executive Director of Housing Development Advocacy Network, Mr Festus Adebayo, acknowledged the Lagos State Government’s position that some of the demolished structures were built under high-tension power lines, posing serious safety risks. However, he emphasised that safety concerns should not be addressed in a manner that violates the rights and dignity of vulnerable citizens.

The Housing Development Advocacy Network, therefore, called on the Lagos State Government to urgently suspend further demolitions until further engagement with affected communities was conducted; provide clear, affordable, and accessible alternative settlement options for displaced residents; ensure compensation and resettlement plans align with national and international housing and human rights standards; and adopt participatory urban planning approaches that include community voices in decision-making.

“No Lagos resident should be rendered homeless in the name of development,” Mr. Adebayo said, adding: “A truly modern city protects both infrastructure and its people.”