Lagos Residents Seek Compensation Over Demolished Structures

Displaced people of
Badia East, Apapa-Iganmu Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, have appealed to the state government to compensate all residents affected by demolition of structures in 2013.
The government said that it would give compensation on compassionate grounds, noting  that the demolished structures were shanties that could not be valued.
In interviews with newsmen some residents of the community argued that an agreement made by the government and the community, through a technical committee set up to identify the victims of the demolition, should be abided by.
They spoke at a five-day verification of the affected residents at the National Theatre, Iganmu, where they claimed that the government gave them difficult conditions for identification.
The verification began on Monday.
Mr Albert Olorunwa , who represented the community in the technical committee on resettlement of the Badia Community, told our correspondent that it was agreed that the committee should identify those to be compensated.
He regretted that residents were being asked at the   verification venue to provide documents beyond their reach.
“In our meeting with the government representatives, we said that most people would not be able to provide national identity card, voter’s card, PHCN bill or international passport because they went with the demolition of their buildings.
“We agreed that the people should be identified by others in the community, but we are very surprised that we got here today and they are insisting on those documents.
“We want government to pay all those whose houses were demolished.
“We have a technical committee that can identify them,” he said.
Mrs Esther Adebisi, who spoke in Yoruba, said that her identification materials were rejected.
“You can see my leg; I came with crutches and used the last N500 in my house to pay transport to this place, and they said my identity card is not valid.
“It is a lie because you can see that this is my picture on this identity card.
“I am waiting for them because I cannot walk and I am not going anywhere,“ she said.
President, Good Women Association in Badia, Mrs Biola Ogunyemi, told our correspondent that the houses of the residents were demolished on February 23, 2013.
“A lot of people who are entitled to assistance were denied their rights in a way because they do not have the documents the government is requesting for.
“Some of the houses were demolished when the people were not at home; where will they get the identity card from?“ she asked.
She appealed to the state government to compensate all those affected by the demolition.
A lawyer from the Social and Economic Rights Action Centre, Mr Emmanuel Nwaghodoh, said that the yardstick used by the government would exclude some affected residents.
He said that the agreed means of identification was not being followed.
“Somebody who went out and his house was demolished, how does he get those documents?” he asked.
He appealed to the government to pay compensation to all the affected residents.