…RoW: Property Owners Appeal Against Demolition
Residents of Ije-Ododo community in the Iba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos have expressed joy over the State government’s approval of the link-road between Ije-Ododo and Abule-Ado areas of the state.
Speaking on the development, the residents expressed delight that the state government had fulfilled their desires by agreeing to construct a standard road to link other parts of the metropolis with a view to ending their sufferings over the years.
They said during rainy seasons, residents do experience hard times commuting from Ije-Ododo to other parts of the city, as many usually leave their cars at home or in nearby cities while wading through the muddy waters on foot to get to their various destinations.
However, some of the property owners, whose houses and businesses fall on the Right of Way (ROW) of the proposed road project, have appealed to the government to consider their plights and shift grounds during the demolition of structures.
They are appealing to the government to prevail on the contractor to give some concessions and spare parts of their property to cushion the effect of the project on them.
A property owner, Olusegun Babalola, whose house and school have been marked for demolition, lamented that his entire life investment would be pulled down soon when construction work begins, adding that the state government should consider compensating them.
A lawyer, Abel Iwarah, reacting to insinuations that some of the residents were planning to approach the court, urged the affected property owners to shelve their plan of seeking litigation so as not to delay or truncate the road project in the interest of public good. He added that the government reserves the right to appropriate any land for development or public purposes such as roads and schools.
