Coalition calls for Sincerity in the resolution of Makoko Demolitions

Coalition calls for Sincerity in the resolution of Makoko Demolitions 

.....Calls on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu not to rescind on the Development of Makoko

A Coalition of over 80 Civil Society and Non Governmental Organizations have called for sincerity on the part of the government and residents of Makoko in resolving the grey areas of the demolitions of structures under high tension power lines and others constituting a threat to lives and public safety.

Speaking at a world press conference in Lagos which was well attended by the leadership and members of the coalition as well as the media, the convener Nelson Ekujumi noted that "Makoko has become a recurring decimal for demolitions by successive administrations in the state over the arbitrary springing up of residential and other structures under high tension power lines and in uninhabitable conditions for human living".

Speaking further, Nelson Ekujumi went historical to highlight the fact the parts of Makoko community were demolished by the Lagos State government in 2005 and 2015, over what he described as, "Part of it's efforts to clean up the community because of it's threat to human and public safety".

The Coalition for Good Governance attributed the present impasse on the Makoko to the failure of the residents to keep to their own side of the agreement reached with the state government, to voluntarily remove illegal structures under high tension power lines within a specified distance, which necessitated the moving in of the government to demolish such structures to save lives and guarantee public health and safety.

According to Nelson Ekujumi, "The residents of Makoko community reneged on the agreement reached with the government by not willingly removing structures as promised that violate the distance from the high tension power lines and constituted threat to life and environmental nuisance, hence forced the government to move in, in fulfillment of it's primary responsibility which is to save lives and guarantee public safety".

A co-convener of the coalition comrade Razaq Oladosu while speaking, adminished the government and the residents of Makoko to go back to the discussion table with all sincerity to sort out the grey areas in order to avert the catastrophe of the high tension power lines disconnecting from the power pole into the lagoon and consuming thousands of human lives.

However, the group commiserated with the some of the Makoko residents who have become victims of the state government enforcement of it's statutory laws and responsibility to the safety and security of lives and property.

In the same breath, the Coalition was full of commendation for the Lagos State house of assembly for stepping into the matter to calm frayed nerves by ordering an immediate suspension of the demolition exercise pending it's investigation into the areas of conflict.

The group then demanded an immediate action to ensure the implementation of government urban development programme for Makoko to avert any clear and avoidable disaster, while also calling on "Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu not to rescind from ensuring the place is cleared immediately as it will be of great advantage to the people of Makoko, Lagos State and Nigerians as a whole if people are evacuated alive than moving thousands of dead bodies if a single string of that high tension power line drops inside the lagoon".