Thirty-five years after Maroko was demolished by the military government of Colonel Raji Rasaki and the residents partially relocated to Low Cost Housing Estate Ilashan, the evictees are now complaining that government is trying to remove them from the estate.
They are, therefore, appealing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to ensure they and their family members are not put through the same punishment meted on them in 1990 considering the compensation plans being pushed to them.
They alleged that the state government is trying to use a divide and rule approach in engaging them.
They also claimed that many of the residents were not consulted before a compensation agreement was reached.
They wondered how genuine owners of the flats would agree to about N11.3 million, which cannot buy a quarter of land in the area, let alone, building a two-bed room flat on the land.
They maintained that he state government is not fair by wanting to relocate them to Epe or Imota, far away from their means of livelihood, when there are state government-owned estates within the corridor or city they are being relocated from.
One of concerned residents, Mrs Faoziah Gamu, said: “We prefer that the estate is rebuilt correctly as there are lots of spaces that can be used to compensate developers after completing its job.
“The fact that all the owners of the Ilashan Estate flats were from Maroko now Victoria island extension whose plots of lands were forcefully taken by Lagos State government about four decades ago and given uncompleted buildings and some no building at all just allocation paper they should pay for their land because that was the only thing valuable.”
She argued that for Lagos State government to be offering anyone N11 million today is injustice.
“An average size of plot in Lekki today is so much not to talk of anything else. In today’s money, N11 million is like renting a 1-bedroom flat for five years.
“So what exactly is the government paying for to take the land by force and asking the owners to get lost into the forest of Imota and Epe.”
Prince Asefun Alfred Olugbola stated that if the state government really cares about them, it ought to give them more than what is being offered.
“The money will amount to nothing to get an alternative location except in the bush.
They just want us to move. We were tricked bythose who claimed to have represented us,because they pursued another agenda.”
Similarly, Mr. Afuwape Emmanuel said the N11 million being offered is too small. He added that when the power station in the estate was being built, about 10 years ago, the people who were moved away from the spot to accommodate the power station were paid about N10 million. “Considering the drop in the value of the naira, therefore, most of us think that the N11 million is too small. N40 million to N50 million will be a fair amount.
“Most importantly, which is what most of us have been clamouring for; why can’t the government redevelop the estate for us, instead of sending us away.”
Another resident said that over 30 years ago, the government of Lagos State, under the then Col. Raji Rasaki, took over his property in Maroko.
“Lagos State government gave me an uncompleted, unplastered flat with no infrastructural road, no windows, no doors as a compensation.
“Now, 35 years after, an unfaced group is asking me to submit my original documents for a mere N11 million. Haba? Jakande Ilasan Housing Estate is the de facto part of Victoria Island. We all know how much people pay as rent for a flat in that neighborhood.
“If you want to develop the land and give us back or want to sell, let’s sit down and negotiate and not arbitrarily come up with a ‘take it or leave it’ figure.
“Who is behind this scheme? The government admitted they sold the land to a developer. The unnamed developer has never dialogue with the flat owners. Who arrived at the N11 million, “once and for all” outright payment? Let’s unravel the mystery.”
The Guardian contacted Head, Public Affairs Department of the Ministry of Housing, Ganiu Lawal. After being briefed about the complaints of the Maroko evictees, he asked that the questions be sent to him via whatsapp so that he could get appropriate response from the department concerns but he was yet to get back as at press time.(Guardian)
