Kunle ADELABU
The Majority leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly and representative of Ikorodu Constituency I, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade,on Friday, December 22,2017, visited Agric-Owutu-Isawo area of Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area to sympathize with the residents whose houses were demolished to make way for road construction.
While sympathizing with the victim, the three-term lawmaker, also made passionate appeal to the victims to show understanding to the efforts of the Lagos State government to develop Ikorodu Division.
Hi-Tech Construction Company, a construction giant located on 1682, Sanusi Fafunwa Street, Victoria Island, Lagos, which was awarded the reconstruction works for Agric-Isawo-Konu-Arepo Road in Ikorodiu West LCDA, moved to sites few weeks back.
The demolition exercise, which commenced last week Monday (December 11) around Konu area, had almost reached Agric junction when the lawmaker visited the area.
Hon. Agunbiade,while speaking during the visit, stated that the demolition exercise is necessary to give way for the construction of world class highways which are expected to transform the division’s economic and social lives.
“I’m here today to emphatise with you on the demolition of your houses. Although, there is no amount of appeal or preaching that can take away your loss, we deem it necessary to come here and relate with you during this crisis”, he stated.
“This is one of the effects of what you elected me to bring to you as your representative in the state Assembly. I have been working with some of you (victims) for about 10 years now on how to reconstruct this road because of the population and large size of this area and also because of the strategic nature of the routes therein”.
“Today, you can all see what we have been saying that this road will be reconstructed and that our division will benefits from the government led by our party, APC”.
“I want to, once again, plead with you to accept the condition which, though is very painful, will eventually bring social and economic developments to the residents of these areas and Ikorodu division at large” , he said.
“While you are feeling the pains, you should also try as much as possible to connect with the long term effects of this road; the benefits and smile it would eventually bring to you. There is no way your rent, businesses and lives could be the same after the completion of this road”.
Hon. Agunbiade also stated that the elected and appointed representatives in the division are working in tandem with the political leaders and traditional leaders to ensure that compensation is paid to the victims.
“We, the representatives that you voted for on the platform of our great party, are working together with our counterparts in different executive positions and as well as with our political and traditional leaders to ensure that you are compensated”, he informed the victims.
“You can be rest assured that I will still take your appeal and request for compensation to these fora and the governor”, he assured.
He also thanked the leadership of the party and community development associations for their roles in ensuring that residents cooperate with the officials of the Ministry and the construction company.
One of the victim,who simply identified himself as Alhaji and who lost half of his one storey building of 4-flats to the demolition, appealed to the state government to help the victims by compensating them in good time.
Another victim, who also declined to give her name, condemned the State Government’s action in demolishing houses without first compensating the victims.
“Despite the fact that we are the long term beneficiaries of the construction, the way and manner the government is going about it is wrong and inhumane. We should have been compensated before the demolition commences. This would have given us the opportunity to resettle ourselves elsewhere. The timing is also wrong. Why did they choose the festive period to carry out the demolition?” she queried.
Meanwhile, the representative of the Ministry of Physical Planning & Urban Development who briefed Hon. Agunbiade during the visit, stated that the residents are very cooperative and that the construction work is going on fine.
