Why houses are being demolished in Amuwo-Odofin
Maureen Aguta
On Saturday Morning, October 18, 2023, the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), commenced demolishing of some residential buildings in the Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos State.
Advocacy Times learnt that the demolition came against the backdrop of a notice which was served to occupants and owners of the affected and marked buildings by the authority notified the occupants of government’s readiness to demolish houses and structures in the area in August 2023.
Who is demolishing the buildings?
The ongoing demolition is being carried out by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) which is the owner of the areas.
Which areas are affected?
The affected areas are some illegal estates that have been developed without due regularization by the appropriate bodies. Some of the affected estates are 91 Road, Stonewaters Estate, Abulado axis of Amuwo-Odofin and some other areas in the Abulado
Why are the buildings demolished?
Source close to the South-West Zone of the Federal Housing Authority told Advocacy Times that occupants of houses marked for demolition at the Festac Phase 2 area which is the Abulado axis of Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Lagos State had violated the rules.
The Authority expressed dissatisfaction that the occupants as they continued to erect structures without abiding by the order.
The Zonal Managing Director of FHA, South-West Zone, Hakeem Olagbemiro, said the affected houses were illegally acquired and were being developed by unregistered developers.
He said: “A lot of illegality has gone up in that place, and I mean an illegal development. And we are looking at how best we can solve this and ensure people live in a serene environment. We want to ensure that we do our part by making people live in quality houses for them to live in.” “Unfortunately, we have had a series of issues of illegal estate developers, illegal people selling lands, people who claimed they owned the place and we have litigation from many angles.” Also many of these illegal buildings affected are on the roads, some on pipelines and some on drainage.
What are residents saying?
Many of the affected individual’s and property owners in these axis have lamented over this development. While a few of them didn’t want to speak to the media over the development; some were angry and bitter about the situation. Most of the house owners who are Igbos said it is likely they are being targeted in furtherance to the seeming ongoing ethnic profiling and segregation against Igbo people going on in recent times in Lagos. Some pointedly accused the Lagos State Government of being the unseen hands behind their ordeal.
Our correspondent reports that most of the affected house owners were seen trying to trying to salvage whatever they could from their demolished properties.
However, some of the house owners told Advocacy Times that they were actually aware of the demolition but many people didn’t think it would happen.
Recall that in November 2021, the demolition exercise was carried out in some parts of Festac Town and the FHA who had meetings with stakeholders then Ashafa, said his administration listened to pleas of encroachers who ignorantly built illegally on government land so as to reduce their losses. They were told to wait and that the FHA will go on to consider all professional and safety measures to salvage as much as we can without endangering lives and that all houses to be considered must pass the required integrity checks to be carried out by FHA professionals.
Mrs. Francisca Michael-James, FHA Head of Town Planning, South-West Zone, while making a slide presentation, said encroachers did not adhere to construction standards. She said the structures clogged the Right of Way, blocked roads and drainage channels thereby making it difficult for the FHA to decide realignments in the planned regularization.
According to an official of the FHA, after the stakeholder meeting with the FHA and those who own these buildings who were told to wait for regularization , some waited and others continued building and some started afresh without permission and flouting the Federal Government order.
During a visit to the area where houses were marked for demolition, the Zonal Deputy General Manager of Urban and Regional Planning, Francesca Michael-James, said it was high time the organisation started pulling down houses marked for demolition.