By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Comrade Rasheed Awofeso, former General Secretary of the Kosofe Community Development Committee, has appealed to the Lagos State Government to provide temporary shelter and relief for residents displaced by the recent demolition exercise in Oworonshoki.
Kosofe Post reports that the exercise, carried out by the Lagos State Government to clear structures said to have contravened planning regulations, has left several families homeless. While officials insist the demolition was necessary to restore order and protect the environment, residents lament being suddenly displaced without alternatives.
Speaking with Kosofe Post, Awofeso, who is also the founder of the Children and Community Protection Network, described the demolition as painful, stressing that affected families need urgent support.
“It is heartbreaking. Shelter is a basic human need everywhere in the world. For one to suddenly move from being a landlord to being homeless is extremely painful. Many of these people have lived in their homes for over 25 years, only to lose everything in a day. Emotionally, they can never be balanced,” he said.
He urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to provide alternative accommodation or temporary shelters for the victims to cushion the effect of their displacement. “Even if it is just one-bedroom apartments, the government can still make provision. They cannot be expected to go under the bridge to live. Some are already dead, and those alive are emotionally depressed. We must also think of their children, who risk becoming at-risk children because of this situation,” Awofeso added.
The community leader revealed that he visited the demolished site two days after the exercise to offer moral support and little assistance to some affected residents. He noted that while he received financial support from the publisher of Kosofe Post to aid victims, the intervention was grossly inadequate.
“As an NGO, we are trying to reach out to partners to see how best to help them, but shelter is key. Without shelter, there is no stability,” he said.
Awofeso further explained that though residents had earlier been sensitised about possible changes in Oworonshoki’s development plan, the speed and impact of the demolition took many by surprise. He admitted that many properties were built on unplanned or lowland areas, but insisted that sudden demolition without alternatives only deepens hardship.
“Anywhere in the world, people are advised to confirm the status of land before acquiring property. But when demolitions happen, especially in a place where people have lived for decades, government should also consider the social impact and provide succour,” he said.
Tension remains high in Oworonshoki as families continue to count their losses and await government intervention.