Groups differ on Lagos waterfront demolitions

Following the continued demolitions of some waterfront communities in Lagos State, including Otodo Gbame settlement in Elegushi area of Lekki, some non-governmental organisations are divided on the actions of the state government.

While some described the demolitions as violation of human rights, a civil society organisation, Safe Habitat, has urged the Lagos State Government and relevant stakeholders in the state to show more interest in developments along the state’s waterfront communities.

The Executive Director, Safe Habitat, Ade Williams, said the rate at which people from neighbouring countries and criminals fleeing from other parts of the country were creating illegal settlements in some riverside communities in the state had become alarming.

Williams stated that intelligence report had it that some of the communities served as haven for criminals.

“We are concerned about information reaching us that some aliens and criminals fleeing from law enforcement agencies have formed the habit of creating illegal settlements and shanties in some waterfront communities, especially in Eti-Osa Local Government Area of the state, where they constitute environmental nuisance and launch criminal attacks against residents of Lekki, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and others,” he said.

According to him, the earlier the government and other stakeholders took decisive action against such settlements and shanties, the better for the environment, lawful residents and business development of the area and the state as a whole.

Williams also commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for taking a similar action some months ago to rid Ikoyi and Victoria Island of what he described as environmental nuisance, adding that a past administration in the state had summoned the same will to clean the Kuramo Beach of criminal activities in 2007 by dislodging illegal settlers erecting shanties there.

Williams said it would be in the interest of everyone if the state government and the relevant stakeholders continued to save residents and the environment from further nuisance by removing the shanties and dislodging their illegal occupants.

However, several other NGOs have condemned the demolitions, especially in Otodo Gbame.

Following the latest demolition on March 17 by a team comprising the Lagos State Task Force, Military Police and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, with orders from the governor and Commissioner of Environment, the NGOs said the state had no regards for the rule of law.

The groups made their grievances known in a statement signed by Megan Chapman, Akinrolabu Samuel and Bimbo Oshobe of the Justice and Empowerment Initiatives and the Nigerian Slum and Informal Settlement Federation.

Others who signed the petition are Okechukwu Nwanguma, Yemi Adamolekun, Betty Abah, Maurice Fangnon, NgoziI were and Adobi Egboka of Network on Police Reform in Nigeria; Enough Is Enough; Centre for Children’s Health, Education, Orientation and Protection;  Centre for Defence of Human Rights and Democracy in Africa; Community Life Project; and Legal Defence and Assistance Project, respectively.

“We condemn such impunity and brazen disregard for the rule of law, which is incongruous with a democratic society and Lagos’s aspiration to be a centre of excellence and a world-class megacity. Lagos is a megacity by virtue of its population and it will only be a world-class megacity if it refocuses its energies on serving the needs of the people, especially the poor and vulnerable,” the groups said.

Copyright PUNCH.