Halt Demolition Of Igbo Houses In Lagos – Deputy Speaker Tells Tinubu

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the demolition of properties owned by Igbos in Lagos State, saying the exercise has brought pain at a time many Nigerians are struggling.

Speaking during the commissioning of projects in Aba, Abia state, Kalu urged the president to prevail on the Lagos state government to stop the demolitions and allow affected owners to regularise their documents.

“Mr president, I also want to say that the destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos makes our hearts bleed,” Kalu said.

He appealled to the Lagos State government to continue to accommodate those yet to obtain their documents.

According to him, “For some of them who have not gotten the right documents, my plea to you is to appeal to the governor of Lagos state to keep accommodating our brothers.

“Allow them to rectify their documents instead of destruction. Let them come into the room, find a way, and regularise some of these documents. It bleeds our hearts that houses are being destroyed in these hard times”, he added.

The Lagos State Government had recently demolished plazas at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo Local Government Area.

The exercise was carried out by the Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency, the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.

Earlier in the week, Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, visited the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) section of the market with lawmakers including Enyinnaya Abaribe and Victor Umeh.

Obi faulted the exercise, insisting that the structures had valid approvals.

But Lagos Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, said the buildings lacked approvals and were unsafe.

He stressed that the demolition was not targeted at Igbo traders.(Daily trust)