Community leaders at Makoko-Iwaya Waterfront in Yaba Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State have appealed to the government over the planned relocation of residents from the area.
They told The Nation that the area had been home to over 10,000 Lagosians of Ogu extraction for over 100 years.
A youth leader, Mr. Vituwa Francis, said former governor Babatunde Fashola gave the residents quit notice in 2012.
“Weeks later, earth movers were brought in and they started demolition of our houses. This resulted in a fracas between the landlords and the police.
“One of our chiefs was killed during the fracas and this led to a peaceful protest by the residents at the Secretariat, Alausa.
“Consequently, Fashola ordered that the demolition be stopped,” he said.
Francis said since then, the Ogu residents had been living there peacefully.
The youth leader said the agreement was not a true reflection of the views of Makoko people.
He said the residents were not in support when the agreement was first conceived.
Francis appealed to the government to allow the residents live in peace, adding that they had nowhere to go, having spent their entire life in the area.
Another community leader, Mr. Thosugan Isaac, said the people were capable of developing the area without the help of any developer.
Isaac, a fisherman, urged the government to give them approval to build permanent structures.
A resident, Mr. Sadiku Adosu, said Makoko residents had been contributing positively to the socio-economic development of the state.
He implored the government to look into their plight.
“We have been living at Makoko-Iwaya for decades. What we want from the government is provision of basic amenities, not relocation,” he said. (The Nation)
