2015: Fashola, Obanikoro renew rivalry over Ilubirin housing project
As the 2015 general elections draw near, the battle for the next governor in Lagos State may have started between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Two key political figures in the two political parties, Governor Babatunde Fashola of APC and the Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro of PDP, have been flexing muscles on a reclaimed land at Ilubirin, a former floating community on Lagos lagoon.
The community has existed at Lagos Island for years. Majority of its dwellers are women. While looking at the lagoon as one descends the Third Mainland Bridge from Ikoyi, Ilubirin is bounded by Obalende to the right side, by the Third Mainland Bridge to the left. Behind the community is ‘Isale-Eko’ on Lagos Island. Between the bridge and the lagoon is this expanse of land reclaimed by Lagos State government few years ago. This reclaimed land was once a floating community occupied by quite some ordinary people in the society who built their make-shift houses on the lagoon.
Investigations by Sunday Trust revealed that Ilubirin had existed for decades. It has served as abode to few hundreds of residents who hail from Ilaje Ese-Odo in Ondo State, Badagry, Benin-Republic and quite some who are nationals of Togo.
Residents of Ilubirin, it was gathered, are predominantly fishermen and women. Some among the women residents also engaged in brewing local gin popularly referred to as ‘Ogogoro’ or fried fish got from the lagoon. They usually take the fish to Ebute-Ero market, near the palace of Oba of Lagos, in order to sell them to members of the society on daily basis.
This has been the lifestyle of dwellers at Ilubirin for decades. The residents kept on increasing in population, while the floating community continued to expand in shambles. It was no doubt that Ilubirin was an eyesore. Though past government in Lagos state turned a blind eye to the community until some years back when the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration sent dwellers of Ilubirin packing.
Having succeeded in sending the occupants of the place away,the state government sand filled the entire Ilubirin through the construction giant, Julius Berger Plc. After it was sand filled, it was left unattended to for about three years until recently, when the State government began construction of Ilubirin Foreshore Housing Estate on the reclaimed land. The government planned a total number of 1,254 flats, to be made two and three bedroom apartment, on eight floors. The contractor, Cyrou Turnkey Builders has already commenced work on the project and the period which it’s expected to be completed is 15 months.
However, Governor Fashola, on April 2, 2014, raised alarm during the celebration of his 2,500 days in office, about a ‘cold war’ that is brewing between the Federal Government and Lagos State government on the reclaimed land.
Governor Fashola alleged that the Minister of State for Defence, Senator Obanikoro had at weekend preceding the 2,500 days celebration, visited Ilubirin Housing Estate project site, in company of soldiers, and ordered immediate halt of any form of construction on site.
According to Fashola, Ilubirin site in question has been investigated by the State government, adding that “Our respected first Federal Commissioner of Works during General Yakubu Gowon’s regime, Alhaji Femi Okunnu had informed the state that the place belongs to Lagos and not federal government.
Fashola stressed that following the confirmation by Alhaji Okunnu who should know best as regards who owns Ilubirin land, the State government embarked on sandfilling of the waterfront that cost the state a huge sum of money.
“I was informed that Senator Musiliu Obanikoro brought in soldiers to stop the housing project last weekend. Why is it now they lay claim to the place after we have sand filled it?......We did thorough investigation about the place and, the first Federal Commissioner of Works, Alhaji Femi Okunnu, an illustrious son of Lagos has told us that the place belongs to Lagos and not Federal government,” Fashola said.
He added that visiting Ilubirin’s housing project site by Senator Obanikoro is one way of looking for trouble in Lagos State as the 2015 elections draw near. The governor also condemned what he described as misuse of office and the Nigerian Army by Obanikoro, adding that stoppage of the housing project meant for low income earners in the State was a clear indication that the main opposition party, PDP, did not wish Lagos well. He said the PDP’s target was to destabilize Lagos ahead of 2015 elections.
But in his reaction to the allegation leveled against him, Senator Obanikoro admitted he visited the Ilubirin housing project site, stating that he visited the place as a concerned Lagosian who was worried that such project should not sited at Ilubirin for a number of reasons.
According to Obanikoro, he deliberately visited the project site “to assuage or confirm my fears. I made an unscheduled visit to the land on the fateful day in question to take a physical assessment. Perhaps the presence of the military men attached to my convoy is what was termed ‘commando-like’ by the Lagos State government. But one would expect that the governor should know better if his intentions are genuine.
“Concerned Lagosians and discerning individuals would observe that work is still ongoing on that piece of land at a speedy rate. Beyond a physical inspection of the land by my team, no attempt was made to disturb workers on the site. It, therefore, was a mirage that the governor saw what he allegedly claimed to be a deployment of solders to the land and the phantom signpost proclaiming the land a Federal Government property.”
Obanikoro, however, argued that there was a reason why Lagos State government pre-empted his actions and that of the Federal Government on the ongoing development on the Ilubirin reclaimed land.
According to the minister, the original reclamation of the lagoon that created the Ilubirin housing site was illegal. The Nigerian Inland Waterway Act of 1997, sections 10, 11, 12 and 13 made the activity illegal without the approved consent of the Nigerian Inland Waterway Authority (NIWA).
“I doubt if such approval exists for the dredging of the lagoon floor to fill a part of the same lagoon by the State government. Given the commencement of development on that land by the State government, it is clear who the land grabber is. My worry is on the safety and the appropriateness of the reclaimed land for mass housing.
“Mass housing is for middle and low-income earners who depend largely on the government to ensure and protect them against environmental hazards and natural occurrences. It is for these people that the Lagos State government plans homes for on a reclaimed lagoon land. I have spoken to experts on matters of reclaimed land and related environmental hazards in relation to this land. None of them have seen the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Ilubirin development nor the protection plan against rise in water levels.
“There are existing allegations by researchers that the reclamation of Ilubirin is contributory to flooding in areas of Lagos Island. In other words, a comprehensive EIA with stakeholders’ approval is sacrosanct to the development of that land. The question is, did Lagos State government get such before the commencement of the development on that land?,” he asked.
Obanikoro state further that another source of concern to him, which necessitated his unscheduled visit to the land, was his observation that high-tension electricity cables ran through the Ilubirin land.
“The electricity cables used to be in the middle of the water. While I recognize that it is usually difficult to enforce the legal setbacks for development around such high-tension cables in Nigeria, it is disturbing to see Lagos State government may be in the process of violating such setbacks.
“This would compromise the safety of lives and property of proposed residents of the estate when completed. I am particularly worried that in the usual Lagos State government manner of flouting laws and disregarding necessary approval processes, it may have failed to conduct proper due diligence on the implications of the project before commencing development.
“The question of affordability of homes built on reclaimed land is apparent. In this regard, who are the proposed houses targeted at. Families living in the densely populated areas of the state need affordable houses. And affordable housing communities, the world over, are located on land and not on the water.
He advised the State government to focus on redesigning and redeveloping the existing Jakande Estates into modern high-rise buildings, to generate homes in multiples instead of the 1,254 flats being targeted at Ilubirin.
Obanikoro challenged Lagos State government to make the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and other necessary approvals on the Ilubirin development public if it existed for all to see and evaluate.
He also asked the people of Lagos to demand for a comprehensive EIA on the Ilubirin development from the State government, demanding that the project be stopped if it was not available.