Encomium
The ongoing demolition in Abule Egba, Lagos, aimed at expanding Lagos-Abeokuta Express Road has, no doubt, left majority of shop and office owners and landlords along the route devastated as the exercise has affected scores of structures.
A visit to the place by encomium.ng revealed that some of the occupants of the main buildings in the area lost their property worth millions of naira to the demolition which also consumed some banks and petrol filling stations.
One of the affected office owners, Mr. John, who spoke to us lamented losses as a result of the destruction.
“This demolition is unholy. I don’t see any need for it but you can’t fight the government and win on any issue like this. But I don’t think government should do this kind of thing to us at this period of recession when everybody is struggling to survive. I don’t have any place to go now, and everything I have in the office has gone with the demolition. The notice served wasn’t enough to look for alternative place. It’s rather unfortunate.”
Another occupant of one of the demolished structures also cried foul, arguing that the expansion is uncalled for at the moment.
“Government at times doesn’t get its priority right. For now, the step is just to add to the agony people are facing as a result of the present economic situation. A lot of people have been thrown out of job now. Imagine the filling stations and banks that were levelled, where did government provide for all their staffers to work?
“Another major casualty of the demolition was Progress Fisheries which has been operating for years. The structure was also pulled down. I even learnt the owner fainted and was rushed to hospital. Many people were affected and the most unfortunate of it all is that most landlords in the area don’t have Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) to claim any compensation from the government.”
