6,000 Houses To Be Demolished In Ogun State

One of the 6,000 houses marked for demolition in Akute, Ogun State

The Ogun State Government is set to demolish about 6,000 buildings in Akute area of the state in western Nigeria in preparation to expand the road from Akute-Odo to Adiyan Plant Station where a major water project owned by the Lagos State Government is situated.

The 6,000 buildings have been marked for demolition in Akute, Pipeline, Baale Akin-Osi and Oke Aro communities in Ogun State in the ongoing water expansion project in the state.

Houses that fall 55 metres on the right of way of the proposed project running from Akute-Odo to Adiyan Plant Station have been earmarked for demolition and residents have been given seven days ultimatum to vacate the area to pave way for the demolition exercise.

Landlords in the areas held an emergency press conference on Thursday and appealed to the Ogun State Government to reduce the 55 metres setback by 20 metres to reduce the number of properties that would be affected as losses arising from the demolition exercise could run into billions of naira.

Rev. Joshua Adegbola, Chairman, Joint Community Development Council, Akute addressed the news conference flanked by Alhaji Sani Mobarak, Chairman Akute Community Development Committee, CDC; Alhaji Busari, Grand Patron, Ifo LG CDC and Dr. Titus Folusho Chairman, Ore-Ofe Community Development Association, CDA.

Another house marked for demolition in Akute, Ogun State

Adegbola said since the demolition notices were placed on 12 May by the Ogun State, there had been apprehension among the landlords and tenants as they had nowhere to go.

He said the expansion of the Akute-Odo to Adiyan Plant Station should rather be a blessing to the people of the area and not a curse which the demolition of their structures was about to bring upon them.

Adegbola pleaded with Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State and Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State to consider the people of the affected communities, saying that “should they carry out the demolition, life would not be the same again for them.”

According to him, government should consider the aged, retirees who spent their life’s savings to build the houses; innocent children whose parents own the houses that were marked for demolition; petty traders whose shops would be affected and the only government owned school to be affected by the demolition.

“Many of the people in the affected communities have developed hypertension and two people have died as a result of shock when their houses were marked and many will lose their only means of livelihood. We are not saying they should stop the project, what we want from them is consideration.

Affected house owners

“As we speak, two people from our community are dead and many are feeling uncomfortable with the intention of the government to demolish their buildings.

Many of the people came here to settle many years ago. Where does the government want to send such people to if their buildings are demolished? All we are asking for is for them to temper justice with mercy and reconsider the 20 metres setback requested instead of the proposed 55 metres. One can only imagine what would be left if 55 metres is removed from our buildings. Many of the buildings here will be gone if they remove the 55 metres,” he lamented.

Adegbola said there was no notice of demolition from the Ogun State Government until Tuesday this week when officials of the Ogun State Urban and Regional Planning Board Development stormed the area to mark the houses for demolition.

Some of affected residents accused the Ogun State Government of causing them untold pains and hardship without adequate notice for them to make alternative arrangement for their families.

It was gathered that the proposed demolition of buildings in the communities was first brought to their notice in 2013 when some agents of the Ogun State Government came to mark their buildings, but then the setback was 110 metres, which has now been reduced to 55 metres.

P.M.NEWS learnt that at least 60,000 people live in the affected communities and are about being rendered homeless.

Efforts to get the Ogun State Government to react proved abortive as calls made to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Funmi Wakama, were not picked at press time.

Source

Pm news Nigeria.