| Demolition fever
…Lagosians groan as more homes ‘welcome’
govt’s bulldozers
By TESSY OKOYE
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
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•Lagos
govt officials demolishing the structures
PHOTO: Sun News Publishing
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Baba Biliki’s lifelong dream has always been to become
a landlord in Lagos. So, when a friend contacted him about
some expanse of land on sale at Idimu, a Lagos suburb, he
thought his dream was about to be realized.
For this cab driver, who was eager to be free from the exploitation
of greedy landlords, providing a permanent abode for his fast
expanding family was a venture worth embarking on. And the
land was affordable.
All he needed to do was buy a plot or two from the omo onile
(land owners) and erect two rooms till he was financially
strong to build some better structure.
With his little savings and loan from friends, he was able
to buy a piece of land and within six months, his dream became
a reality as he moved into his partially completed house.
After 13 years of living in the neighbourhood, he was jolted
one afternoon by officials of the Lagos State Urban and Physical
Planning who came to serve him a quit notice to vacate his
home within seven days. Reason? His property was sitting directly
on a pipeline belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation. He was told to vacate the building as his property
was going to be demolished by the state government. Furthermore,
the government would not be held liable for the destruction
to the property. At the moment, Baba Biliki has his children
scattered among relations in the metropolis.
He’s not the only one. Mrs Agnes Balogun, a Ghanaian,
married to a Nigerian and resident in Abuja, recently received
a distress call from her brother in Lagos over plans by the
state government to demolish her family’s five-bedroom
bungalow at Ejigbo. She left her family in Abuja and arrived
in Lagos to be welcomed with an eviction notice that would
expire in two days. Painfully, she called in bricklayers to
remove louvers, doors and other valuables in the house to
a safe location. She actually paid labourers and watched with
heavy heart as the home built by her husband for their retirement
was gradually brought down.
Nearly all parts of Lagos metropolis have received, or about
to host an unwelcome guest, the demolition squad. Already,
places like Ajegunle, Oshodi, Agege, Ijesha, Surulere, Ikorodu,
Festac and Orile have tasted the bile of demolition. Even
those living in high brow areas such as Victoria Island and
Lekki have not been spared by the Tsunami demolition rocking
the centre of excellence.
People leaving in government housing estates under owner-occupier
basis are no longer counting themselves lucky. This is particularly
so for the residents of Shogunro (LSDPC) Estate Ogba, where
residents were evicted after the ground floor of a block went
under.
The demolition is said to be targeted mainly at structures
along alignments of primary drainage channels, in areas capable
of causing fire disasters and places where building plans
have been altered. Such demolition, says the government, is
geared at sanitizing Lagos to make it a mega city.
That good intention is, however, displacing hundreds and destroying
means of livelihood. Areas in the state now savouring the
unpleasant experience are Idimu and Ejigbo. According to the
notice served to the communities, most of the buildings are
sitting on a land mine; NNPC pipelines.
The nation was not long ago plunged into mourning over a pipeline
fire tragedy that claimed over 40 lives in Ijegun, a community
close to both Idimu and Ejigbo. Grim picture of charred remains
of the old and young is still fresh in the memory of Nigerians
even as the tears of those bereaved are yet to cease.
Though the fire was caused by an unintended rupturing of a
pipeline by an earth mover meant to widen the road that led
into the community, it was one tragedy experts said could
have been avoided if people had heeded warnings to stay away
from areas that play host to NNPC installations.
According to NNPC, warning signs on the presence of underground
pipelines in the areas were either removed or obscured by
illegal structures and shanties.
In order to avert a repeat of the disaster, Lagos State government
and NNPC are moving into places like Abule Egba, Ijedodo,
Mosimi, Ilado, Takwa Bay, Idimu, Ikotun and Ejigbo on which
the NNPC’s pipelines run to secure such places and at
the same time protect lives and property of citizens.
When Daily Sun visited Idimu and Ejigbo, the areas looked
like war ravaged communities torn apart by grenades. Most
of the houses along Ejigbo road have been reduced to rubble
by bulldozers to widen the road, while those said to be situated
on pipelines have been marked for total demolition. Landlords
have also resorted to pulling down their walls to comply with
the new setback indicated by Lagos State officials.
Demolition
Worst hit in the axis are residents of Silver Estate where
32 houses have been marked for demolition. The estate is struck
by panic and carpenters can be seen pulling off roofs, while
others are seen pulling down buildings. All they earnestly
desire at the moment is for the state government to assuage
their despondency by receding on the planned demolition.
Oduwale Lukmon, a petrol attendant, told Daily Sun that he
bought his piece of land 11 years ago, and was aware that
there were NNPC’s pipelines in the area. He disclosed
that he was told by NNPC officials to measure 30 meters away
from the installation and build his house.
“When I bought my land, a road had already demarcated
my property from the pipeline. I measured the mandatory 30
feet and had confidence to build my house. We can’t
fight government at this stage. All I am appealing is for
them to please leave my building as I have already demolished
half of it”, he pleaded.
An apparently shocked man with his belongings littering every
available space outside his house stood and watched, while
his wife supervised the demolition of a section of their house.
The man who later identified himself as Mr. Sanya Ajayi was
incensed by the exercise, but said he has accepted what befell
him in good faith.
Mr. Ajayi’s case was quite pathetic, as he fell for
the ploy of omo onile who sold acquired land to him.
According to him, the area where Silver Estate occupies was
vast land filled with greenery. He said he bought the place
11 years ago and was not aware that there were pipelines in
the area until he wanted to construct a septic tank for his
house.
“When I finished building my house and wanted to construct
a soak-away, I was warned by a neighbour to site it at the
back of the building. He then told me that a pipeline is directly
in front of my house. I learnt that government put signs to
indicate the presence of NNPC installations in the area, but
we were not aware. We should not be made to lose out completely
in this issue.
“We are not blaming the government for carrying out
their duties, but the time they gave us is too short. 30 feet
is too much for a building that has already been erected.
If actually they want to avert another fire, it is not logical
for them to disposess us of our properties without compensation
or alternative arrangement. All we want is a government with
a human face.”
Ajayi is not the only hapless resident in the area that fell
for the dubious antics of ill famed land touts. Also, among
the victims, is Omoniyi, who disclosed that he bought his
land in 2004. He said aside discovering that he had bought
an acquired land, he was shocked to discover that his sitting
room was directly sited on a pipeline.
“Most of us did not know what we were getting into because
the land was bushy and we were eager to own a property. This
area has over the years witnessed an influx of people. I relocated
my family elsewhere when I discovered that my land had a pipeline
running through it. Anytime NNPC is pumping petroleum product,
my house would be vibrating. But I was faced with the truth
when NNPC came with their metal detectors which beeped continuously
in my house.”
Speaking on the issue, the Vice Chairman of Silver Estate,
Mr. Sikiru Jimoh Atiba, corroborated the claims of residents
of the estate and others in adjoining areas. According to
him, the people are made to suffer for what is not entirely
their fault.
He noted that the pegs used for sign were truly removed by
the omo onile who feasted on the people’s desperation
to own landed property. He, however, appealed to the state
government to temper justice with mercy and reduce the setbacks
from the pipelines from 75 feet to 40.
“We have lost two landlords to the development already.
We have served as security to the pipelines, as vandals have
always been given a good fight anytime they make incursion
into this place. We know how many threat letters we have received,
while safeguarding the installations. We have never failed
to inform the police of any unusual activity in the area”.
He, however, disclosed that based on the danger posed by the
pipelines to residents, plans are on underway to give lands
to those who lost their homes. Such beneficiaries, he noted,
would personally bear the brunt of developing the land themselves.
With the outcry against the on-going demolition, a Lagos-based
lawyer said that there was no use for a development that would
displace people without providing alternative that would lessen
their pains.
Expressing discontent about the exercise, he noted that it
is gradually drifting to disobedience of existing court orders
and undermining of the state policies, as was the case of
Dispensational Gospel mission (DGM), a church at Ijeh road,
Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi, which was demolished despite having
all documents its intact.
He averred that the state is saddled with making welfare of
its citizens a priority and not pushing them into the cold
to face all forms of vices.
“The 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
has a spelt out directive on the welfare of its citizens under
such circumstances as demolition. It states that the state
must direct policy towards ensuring and provision of adequate
shelter for all citizens, but this provision has been buried
inside the dust-bin of neglect. Government has, over time,
violated their obligations to the citizens as contained in
international law and that of the African Charter on Human
and People’s rights. Government has short changed the
interest of its citizenry.” |
