Lagos State House of Assembly has ordered the immediate stoppage of the ongoing demolition exercise going at Makoko community waterfront in the State.
Hon Noheem Adams who is the chairman of the Ad-Hoc committee set up by the Speaker of the House, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa, on the matter, made the announcement on Tuesday.
Recall that hundreds of displaced residents of Makoko had staged protest to the Assembly last week over the demolition exercise.
The protest had created tension which led to the arrest of some activists who are currently undergoing trial.
The state government said that the demolition exercise was to ensure the safety as the residents that built structures under high tension cables.
Adams, who doubles as the Leader of the House, read out the resolution of the Committee shortly after stakeholders’ meeting at Lateef Jakande Auditorium in the Assembly premises, Alausa, Ikeja.
Adams said, “On behalf of the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt Hon Mudashiru Obasa and on behalf of all the 40 members of the House, we are directing that all ministries henceforth should stop work with all demolitions.
“I repeat, all demolitions in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities should stop from today, all demolitions should stop until further notice.
“That the taskforce that was constituted, we want to see the list of the taskforce because we want the residents to be duly involved and to be carried along. So we want to have the schedule of those taskforce and the criteria for those that we are inviting.
“To the residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Shogunro communities, as your representatives, we are giving you all assurances that they will stop demolitions henceforth and there will be compensations for all those that their properties have been demolished.”
The House Leader went on to ask the audience, “So are you satisfied with the committee’s work or you are not satisfied?” And there was thunderous reply of “We are satisfied.”
Earlier, in the course of interrogating the Chairman of Yaba Local Council Development Area, Hon Bayo Adefuye, a member of the Committee, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Information and Strategy, Hon Stephen Ogundipe said, “The most important point is that there should be communication, even if you are not going there physically. Those you want to help must know the plan you have for them.”
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s Special Adviser on E-GIS and Urban Renewal, Dr Babatunde Olajide, who was also present, had said on Monday during a press briefing that the state government would compensate the residents of Makoko, whose properties were demolished.
Dr Olajide further disclosed that Governor Sanwo-Olu had set aside $2 million dollars since 2021 for the redevelopment of the Makoko waterfront to meet international standard.
He stated that the state government is already working on a large water city project to redevelop the community, adding; “We have to do it with human face. We have been working on this since 2021.
“All those people who have been affected have to be compensated and we have the taskforce. We are in the process of enumeration but the first thing to do is to save the people. It is better to be wary than to be late.”
Some of the leaders of the communities, who were present at the meeting, maintained that they no longer want NGOs to interfer in their affairs.
They agreed that they were capable of handling their issues, especially now that the State House of Assembly has intervened.
In his comments, Baale of Makoko, Shogunro, Iwaya LCDA, High Chief Yusuf Sagra said, “We are here to explain our petition to members of the House on what is happening in our communities and we are happy that they have given us a word of peace and we are satisfied.”
Also, Chief Orioye Ogungbure said, “I’m happy over this deliberation. I didn’t expect it. If the government will continue to go this way whenever people have grievances, it will be okay. This is democracy, our government should continue to listen to the people.”
