The Federation of Informal Workers Organisation (FIWON) and Take It Back (TIB) Movement, on Wednesday condemned the ongoing demolition of homes and displacement of poor families in the Oworoshoki area of Lagos by the state government.
The organisations lamented that no fewer than 10,000 people, including women and children, have been made homeless as a result of the demolitions and burning of people’s homes which started on July 24, 2023.
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by the organisations on Wednesday, calling on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s government to put an end to the ongoing demolition exercise.
They also urged the government to award compensation to the affected persons and resettle the thousands of people who have been displaced and made homeless, without property.
The statement reads in part, “We, the undersigned organisations condemn with strong vehemence the ongoing demolition of homes and displacement of poor families at the Oworoshoki area of Lagos by the Lagos State Government.
“The demolition and burning of people’s homes started on the 24th of July 2023 and as at the last count, no less than ten thousand people, including women and children have suddenly become homeless as a result of the demolitions that have affected the following communities: Precious seed and Mosafejo/Idiaraba community (PreciousCoker, Oke-Eri, Odunifa, Lone, Agbarajesu, Community and Ogo-Oluwa). Sadly, these communities have now joined the over thirty thousand victims of forced eviction.
“Needless to say, the provision of security, welfare, and shelter is integral to the fundamental aims and objectives of the government. For many years now, the Lagos state government has failed woefully to meet up with these objectives. According to a report by Business Day newspaper, Lagos accounts for about 5 million out of a total of 18 million housing deficit in Nigeria.
“This implies that the so-called commercial center of the country accounts for more than 31% of the total housing deficit in the country. Hence, rather than increasing the already embarrassing statistics of homelessness in the state through thoughtless demolitions, the state should be massively investing in low-cost housing projects.
“Unfortunately, the regime is deliberately throwing close to ten thousand of its citizens to the street at the time the country is grappling with an unprecedented level of hardship occasioned by the astronomical increase in the price of fuel. This is not only very thoughtless; it is an act of severe cruelty.”
“Forthwith, we call on the Babajide Sanwo-Olu-led government to put an end to the ongoing demolition exercise, and award compensations including resettlement of the thousands that have been unjustly displaced, made homeless, and without property.
“We refuse to be the lamb that is sacrificed on the altar of the insatiable greed of an elite minority.
“#WeCantContinueLikeThis,” the statement added.
Hundreds of residents of Oworonshoki and Idi Araba communities in the Kosofe and Mushin local government areas of the state had protested against the demolition of their houses by the government.
The protesting residents, including the aged, pregnant women, and nursing mothers whose only homes had been demolished demanded that Governor Sanwo-Olu provide them with new houses and compensate them for destroying their properties.
Earlier reports shows that the state government through the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources issued the affected residents only one week’s notice to vacate their premises, which elapsed, on July 27, 2023.
Community sources said at the time that no fewer than 200 houses had been reduced to rubble, adding that the enforcement authorities denied them the opportunity to remove their belongings.
They said that enough time was not given to them and that they had nowhere to move to.
The government in a notice to vacate, dated July 18, 2023, which was addressed to residents and all occupiers on Lekan Oyebade Street was titled: “Environmental Management And Protection Law 2017 Abatement of Nuisance Notice”.
The government cited encroachment on the buffer zone (wetland), illegal conversion of the wetland into a habitation (squatters) on the encroached wetland, absence of toilet facilities and illegal impact of Lagos ownership wetland zone as the issues there.
“In these circumstances, unless you abate the said nuisance within 168 hours (7) days after the service of this notice the provisions of the above-named law will be enforced and you will be prosecuted as provided by the Environmental Law – illegal land reclamation. To provide requisite permit/approval. Absence of toilet facility,” the notice further read.
