Ah, my people, e be like say trouble don land for Ibeju-Lekki wey dem no dey fit manage. Communities dey fear say Federal Government wan start new plan wey go wipe dem ancestral homes come off ground for Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway. Chai! E no go sweet if dem demolish wetin people don build for many years.
As PUNCH Metro waka enter the area, community leaders gretayt talk say dem dey live for different kind of panic. Dem don already suffer before as dem don lose houses and shrines when dem release bulldozers for previous projects. Even though dem dey appreciate President Bola Tinubu wey bring this project come, dem complain say e dey cause wahala instead of peace for dem.
Chief Adebayo Agbabiaka no fit hide hin anger as e dey yarn. E talk say many families don lose everything, yet dem dey come again to mark houses for fresh demolition. “Dem say dem dey from Surveyor-General office, dey mark 150 metres wey go affect everybody for this community,” e talk. Wetin we go do if dem go collect our homes? Dem no even remember say some people don rent space inside dem houses for years! No be so dem promise us compensation wey no fit clear rent for Ibeju-Lekki?”
Another big man, Chief Kunle Balogun, join the gist as e dey yan say dis new setback dey risk everything wey dem don hold dear for their fathers’ land. “Initially, dis road suppose follow shoreline, but now, wetin we go get if dem carry 150 metres on both sides?” E dey cry foul o, as e dey appeal make government reconsider dem plight. “We no wan wahala. We dey law-abiding people,” e add.
Sharahu Ogunyemi talk say if dem carry dis 150 metres wey dem wan take, dem go erase dem settlements completely. Na communal land we dey talk o! He dey urge dem make dem just grant waiver to dem if dem no want wahala, otherwise, e go dey serious matter.
Source from the Federal Ministry of Works talk say dis marking na just to show say dem dey claim land no be say dem wan demolish… yet! Dem come add say dem want make everybody sabi say for the area, na Federal Government get the land. But, who go talk for dem wey no dey get any notice?
As dem dey yarn about how dis highway go connect Lagos to Calabar, investors wey dey for the corridor dey complain say wetin dem dey face na constant destruction of properties without any proper compensation. Just last month, some homeowners don gather dey shout under name Project Affected Persons, as dem dey challenge the government wey dey force dem to pack dem load or face bulldozer without notice.
Na wah o! We go still hear wetin go happen. Hope say dem go listen to community voice before dem carry bulldozers enter community again. Dis na ancestral land we dey talk about, no be play matter!
Do you have a news tip for NNN? Please email us at editor @ nnn.ng
