About 100 buildings were demolished on
Monday and countless persons displaced when the Ogun State Government embarked
on its road expansion project.
The demolition, which began around
9am, affected structures on both sides of the Ojodu/Alagbole road at Yakoyo and
the Sango/Ijoko road all the way down to Ogba-Ayo.
Shops, residential buildings and
shanties were lost to the demolition which was carried out to clear structures
within 22.7 metres from the road. It was said to have lasted well over six
hours.
At Ogba-Ayo along Ijoko road, a
shopping complex housing over 70 shops, two petrol stations and scores of
residential buildings were destroyed. As of 4pm, Sango residents, whose
buildings had also been marked for demolition, were seen hurriedly moving their
valuables in preparation for the demolition that would continue on Tuesday
(today).
Some landlords and few of the
residents at Yakoyo, who spoke with PUNCH
Metro, lamented the
demolition of their buildings without adequate notice to prepare them for the
exercise.
They alleged that the Governor
Ibikunle Amosun administration did not compensate them or map out a
resettlement plan for the people affected by the demolition.
The owner of a two-storey building at
Yakoyo, Mr. Nuhu Aruwa, said he built his house with the money
he had saved from 35 years service as
an officer of the Nigeria Customs Service.
![](file:///C:/Users/Edith/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.gif)
He said, “I have been living here for
the past 26 years. I am a retiree and I manage a paint manufacturing company
here. Early last year, the Bureau of Land and Survey came and marked our
houses, saying it wanted to expand the road and that people should file their
claims for compensation.
“We told them to let us know how they
intend to compensate us. At least, my present house is worth N50m.
“Later in September this year, the
ministry officials said we should await letters of acquisition and after we
agreed on the value of our houses, we could move out.
“They said they would pay us first
before we would move out.”
Aruwa, who hails from Kogi State,
said he was awaiting the letter when he was told that his house would be
demolished on Monday morning.
He said, “No kobo has been paid, no
alternative has been provided and they now say I should move out. Move to
where? Are we goats? We have children schooling here. Do we terminate their
academic programmes? I have served this nation for more than 35 years. I am now
retired, and they want to take all I have built in my whole life away from me.”
Another landlord, Mr. Moshood Yusuf,
said he built his house in 1986 and caters for his15 member family with
the money
he makes from rents.
![](file:///C:/Users/Edith/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.gif)
He said the state governor
disappointed residents when he visited the area a day to the demolition,
without interacting with the landlords to know how they felt.
He said, “The permanent secretary and
governor came here yesterday (Sunday). Amosun merely walked with his entourage
from Alagbole to Yakoyo Bus-stop without talking to anybody. And all he said
was that work would start today and left.”
It was learnt that many of the
landlords were confused because their buildings had been marked three different
times.
A source said the state government
had said initially, that it would only clear structures within 5.2 metres
distance from the road. This was later increased to 13 metres and then 22.7
metres.
Many residents were caught unawares
by the demolition and appealed for time to evacuate their property. Others
protested the demolition and were seen making frantic calls to officials of the
state government.
PUNCH Metro observed that some residents were not at home when the
caterpillar began pulling down some structures.
Around 9.30am, an officer from the
Bureau of Lands addressed a group of landlords.
The unidentified officer said, “All I
will advise you is that you should take the pictures of your property and take
to the Bureau of Lands for documentation. The issue of forms and letters do not
concern the governor. Once he comes and gives orders that work should begin, we
must begin to work. If there is any report that nothing has been done, they
could send in policemen and I don’t want that here. Just get evidence that you
are the owner of the house.”
As the demolition continued, some of
the residents wept.
A resident, Rukayat Moshood, said,
“We didn’t know it would happen like this. It was too sudden. At first, we were
told it would only affect the shops and a little part of the building. Then the
governor came yesterday and said work would begin. We don’t know where we are
packing to now; we have no idea.”
The Permanent Secretary of the
Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Kayode Ademolake, told our correspondent
on the telephone that the residents were opposed to change in the state.
He said, “They were served two years
ago and even in the last three months, we still reminded them. But you know
that even if you give some people 1,000 years, they will still continue to be
there. When development is about to take place, there will be resistance, so we
are not surprised.
“No responsible government will
however continue to watch a road that has been degraded for over 30 years
without doing something about it.
“Some of these people don’t even have
proper documentation for their houses, and yet the government is ready to
compensate them for their losses.”
Tags
Society
Good work governor of the people,continue your good work.one billion gbosa for our governor !!.....
ReplyDeleteThank God I'm a resident in Alagbole, if not, I would have thought the governor is evil. Notice was served over 2 years ago but landlord neglect the plea to claim damages at bureau of lands. Now they are crying foul. Abeg make dem shut up
ReplyDeleteSome people just sponsor a fake rumours to blackmail a good n working government bcause it involves d masses doing a good project since they can't embark on such but to be embezzling our money.Governor Amosun pls continue ur good project we are able to c wit our eyes not d ones d non performing pdp claims they do thru their imaginations but can't be seen
ReplyDeleteWhen lands are being sold to people instead of them to give 30 metres away from the road they would prefer to build houses by the road side when development comes they will start apportioning blames on state government. Abeg Make una die the matter
ReplyDelete