Lamentation trails demolition of 500 structures in Ibadan
• We only pulled down 50 houses, says commissioner • ‘ Those with genuine papers will be compensated’
Powners, residents of Fashade community, and 12 other villages along Circular Road in Ona- Ara Local Council, Ibadan, Oyo State capital, have lamented the state government’s demolition of “about 500” structures in the area.
The demolition, which started on Tuesday and peaked on Wednesday, brought tears, agony and shock to unprepared residents.
Many property owners and tenants, who did not seriously take the government’s initial warning that it would demolish all structures between 500- metre radius to the ring road, wept profusely as they saw the fruit of their labour being demolished by bulldozers.
The exercise, which began at Fashade community, also affected Aba Osho; Igbalefa; Adigbe; Badeku; Akamo; Alase; Ojoku; Dare; Isase; Oleke Meji as well as Ogido communities.
While some victims cried, shocked at the prospects of having to start building all over again, others rained curses on the government for throwing them into agony, especially amid the current economic downturn.
Narrating his ordeal, a community leader in one of the affected areas, Abdulfatal Amubikan, said hundreds of houses had been demolished since Tuesday, when the exercise started.
He said: “The demolition came to us as a surprise. Governor Makinde, during our peaceful protest to the Secretariat in January, promised that our houses would not be demolished. I was privileged to speak on behalf of others when we went there. We told him about what was posted on our houses by the Ministry of Lands.
“The governor, initially, promised that our property would not be demolished; that we should go back to our various homes. Secondly, he promised to talk to the Commissioner for Lands and get back to us in three months’ time. He said we should just give him three months to work things out.
“Mr Governor specifically assured us, and God can bear me witness, that his government will not demolish our houses. Unfortunately, the same government did not wait till three months, which will elapse in April, before it brought in bulldozers.”
Amubikan said it was not as if the people defied government’s order, but that they had been expecting three months to elapse before meeting the governor again about his promise.
He added that Makinde also promised that the government would compensate the affected residents, “but since Tuesday, about 500 houses have been demolished. And it is still ongoing.”
Reacting, Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Williams AkinFunmilayo, confirmed the demolition of structures close to Circular Road.
He said the government acquired 500- metre space for a road project on either side.
He said: “Landlords with genuine documents would be compensated by the government. I just enquired from the team that went there; they said just a little over 50 structures were touched and that some of the residents had even been removing iron sheets before they got there. Nobody demolished 500 houses. And those buildings touched were the ones that were about 100 to 150 metres from Circular Road.”
He added: “Those who have genuine papers should come to the secretariat. The government will compensate them. What the government has acquired is 500 metres to the left and right. So, whoever is affected, with genuine papers, will be compensated.”
Another victim, Usman Ikram, expressed pain at how his house was demolished in his absence.
“It was one of our neighbours that called my attention to the fact that the government had started demolishing my house. It was a bad experience I never wished or expected in my life. I was crying within my heart because of the huge sum of money I committed to the project. I will still appeal to the government to rethink this decision because we don’t have anywhere to go.”
A 68- year- old widow, Omowumi Akintoye, also appealed to the governor for help. She said: “Since I moved here in 2016, no new construction has been added. It was still the room I built that I was managing alongside my only child. I never had the opportunity to complete the entire house, because there was no money.”
Other victims who shared their experiences, appealed passionately to the governor to consider their plights.