.says move needed to avert clear, avoidable disaster
.calls for utmost sincerity from all parties in new arrangements
By Our Reporter
The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) has called on Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo- Olu, to ensure immediate implementation of the state government urban development programme for Makoko, saying that he should do this "to avert any clear and avoidable disaster."
CGG made the call on Wednesday at a press conference, which held in Ikeja, and addressed by Comrade Nelson Ekujumi, just as it also called on Governor Sanwo-Olu not to rescind from ensuring the place was cleared immediately to the great advantage of the people of Makoko, Lagos State and Nigerians as a whole.
Speaking at the press briefing attended by members of the coalition, including Comrades Razaq Oladosu, Gbenga Soloki, Peter Oparah, Rotimi Falola, Shola Omolola, among others, Ekujimi said it was better doing so than moving thousands of dead bodies should a single string of that high tension power line drops inside the lagoon.
"If people are evacuated alive it is better than moving thousands of dead bodies if a single string of that high tension power line drops inside the lagoon, God forbid," he said.
The coalition said the call came against the backdrop of the blame game between the Lagos State government and the residents of Makoko, a waterfront settlement that has become a recurring decimal for demolitions by successive administrations in the state over the arbitrary springing up of residential and other structures under high tension power lines and in uninhabitable conditions for human living.
This was just as it quickly recalled that it was not strange news to all living witnesses to the fact that parts of the Makoko community were demolished by the Lagos State government in 2005 and 2012 as part of it's efforts to clean up the community because of it's threat to human and public safety.
According to CGG, Makoko for decades stands as one of Lagos’ most controversial urban spaces, pointing out that to city planners and urban development advocates, it remained an eyesore and a floating slum that highlights the city’s planning failures, which needed to be addressed to save lives and guarantee public safety.
Ekujimi, in his speech, titled: "Makoko and the need for sincerity by stakeholders," sadly noted that the challenges facing the area were undeniable, saying that it was estimated to have a population between 80,000 and 250,000 residents, with many living in stilted wooden homes over the Lagos Lagoon, and having limited access to sanitation, clean water, electricity and waste management.
He said it was a fact that successive governments in the state had long labelled Makoko an environmental and security hazard, citing living under high tension power lines, flooding, fire risks and unplanned structures as justification for it's action, pointing out that from a regulatory standpoint, these concerns were valid, in order and, therefore, the need for something to be done to correct the observed anomalies.
"As a result of the need to preserve lives and ensure public safety that have been endangered by the residents serial violations of the officially approved distance of structures from under high tension power lines and others, the Lagos State government entered into series of discussions and dialogue with the community leaders and residents by reaching an agreement to address the anomalies, with the residents willingly submitting to comply, and the state as observer to the compliance with the terms of the agreement.
"But unfortunately, from our findings and facts on ground, the residents of Makoko reneged on the agreement reached by not willingly removing structures as promised that violate the distance from the high tension power lines and constituted threat to life and environmental nuisance, hence forcing the government to move in, in fulfillment of it's primary responsibility which is to save lives and guarantee public safety.
"Unfortunately, the government's recent demolitions of the illegal structures under the high tension power lines has generated anger, and allegations of insincerity by the residents, who alleged that the government demolitions is in violations of the agreed distance from the high tension power lines after they failed to fulfil their own part of the agreement," Ekujimi stated.
"The point of our concern now is, who is saying the truth about the demolitions, is it the residents who failed to fulfil what they willingly promised to do to save their own lives and preserve public safety, or the government that was forced to move in to remove structures in violations of the law, in fulfillment of it's constitutional responsibility?
"As human beings, we commiserate with families who have lost their habitations and means of livelihood as a result of the demolitions to save lives and preserve public safety, but we must not lose sight of the fact, that the government has a responsibility to ensure that it's citizens do not engage in actions that amounts to attempts to commit suicide and endanger public safety, as doing otherwise, will be tantamount to the abdication of it's primary responsibility which is condemnable," he added.
Ekujimi commended the Lagos State House of Assembly for stepping into the matter to calm frayed nerves by constituting a committee of all parties involved and and ordering an immediate suspension of the demolitions in Makoko.
He also expressed the coalition's delight with the state government promise in pursuing the enumeration of the affected properties, while reiterating commitment to handling the situation with a human face for the collective benefit of the society.
CGG, therefore, also demanded utmost sincerity from all parties in the new arrangements going forward, saying that past engagements seemed "to have exposed the lack of sincerity, trust and communication lacuna, which has been exploited for interests other than the good of the people of Makoko in particular and Lagos State in general."
"However, we must commend the Lagos State House of assembly for it's proactiveness in stepping into the fray to calm frayed nerves by constituting a committee of all parties involved and and ordering an immediate suspension of the demolitions in Makoko.
"We are also delighted to note that the state government has promised the enumeration of affected properties and reiterated commitment to handling the situation with a human face for the collective benefit of the society.
"We are also demanding utmost sincerity from all parties in the new arrangements going forward because past engagements seem to have exposed the lack of sincerity, trust and communication lacuna, which has been exploited for interests other than the good of the people of Makoko in particular and Lagos State in general," the coalition said.
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