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Some residents of Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro in the Yaba area of Lagos State have kicked against their proposed relocation to the Epe area of the state, following the demolition of their homes and recommendations from the state House of Assembly.

The residents, who spoke in separate exclusive interviews with The PUNCH on Wednesday, said they had no relocation agreement with the state government committee.

Speaking with our correspondent, the Secretary of the Makoko Gunuvi Student Association, Zannu Silivester, said the communities did not have any agreement on relocating the residents to a new area.

According to him, the series of engagements between the communities and the state government was based on debates and suggestions without any concrete agreement reached.

He said, “All discussions held so far have only involved suggestions and debates between the Lagos State Government and residents of the Makoko waterfront community.

“We are surprised that a conclusion was announced and published without the knowledge or agreement of the Makoko community.

“Nigeria is a democratic nation, and democracy means the people have the right to choose their future, not decisions being imposed on them without consultation.”

Sylvester also condemned the claim that the Oloto Royal Family were the ancestral owner of the waterfront communities.

“During our first, second and third visits to the Lagos State House of Assembly, Noheem Babatunde Adams clearly stated that he did not recognise or want to hear about the Oloto family as the owners of Makoko, claiming that Makoko waterfront belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“However, we are now surprised to see the same Oloto family being mentioned and listed as the owners of Makoko. This sudden change raises serious questions and concerns that the public deserves answers to.

“Makoko waterfront community has existed for decades, with the Ogu (Gunuvi) people as the original residents due to their traditional occupation of fishing, which requires close access to the water,” he said.

Sylvester noted that the residents would not hesitate to mobilise a peaceful protest to reject the proposed relocation.

“The people of Makoko are law-abiding citizens, but we will continue to defend our rights, heritage and ancestral homes. We, therefore, urge the government to fulfil the promises made to the citizens of Makoko and to engage with the community in a transparent and democratic manner.

“If our voices continue to be ignored, the people of Makoko are prepared to mobilise peacefully in large numbers again, even greater than our previous visit to the Lagos State House of Assembly, in order to defend our rights and seek justice,” he added.

A community leader, Isaac Dosugan, said the agreement was for the government to define a boundary for them and that the areas yet to be demolished should be developed into low-cost housing units for them.

The 75-year-old elder added that the proposed relocation contradicted the agreement and would be rejected by the residents.

“I was born in this community, and I am 75 years old. In all the meetings we had with the government, our suggestion was that the government should designate a boundary for us in the water area. We also suggested that they should develop the remaining areas for us into befitting residences.

“It is surprising that they are now saying that they will relocate us. We will not agree to this, and we reject any relocation plan,” he said.

The PUNCH reports that the Assembly had, during a plenary on Tuesday, recommended that residents affected by the demolition in the waterfront communities be relocated to the Epe area of the state.

The Assembly’s Public Affairs Directorate had stated that the recommendation followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Rules and Business.

According to the statement, the resolution followed a petition addressed to the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, titled, “Urgent Appeal Regarding Ongoing Mass Forced Eviction and Illegal Demolition Threatening Tens of Thousands in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro Communities.

Presenting the report during plenary at the Committee of the Whole, the chairman of the Committee on Rules and Business, Noheem Adams, explained that the committee arrived at its conclusions after engaging the petitioners in five separate meetings and conducting an oversight visit with relevant government officials, agencies and representatives of the affected communities.

The statement noted that the demolition exercise carried out by the state government displaced many residents, including the elderly, women and children, while homes and properties were destroyed.

According to the committee, the affected waterfront communities depend largely on fishing as their primary source of livelihood and have historically lived on the water because of the nature of their occupation.

The lawmakers recommended that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu direct the Special Adviser on E-GIS to vet the enumeration report submitted by the Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon communities.

“The committee further recommended that the government relocate the remaining residents of Makoko, Sogunro and Oko-Agbon to a proposed low-cost housing estate to be constructed in the Agbowa area of the state, where they can continue their fishing activities,” the statement added.

The demolition, which began late last year, had displaced thousands of residents in the waterfront communities.

This led to protests from community members and civil society groups who described the demolition as heavy-handed and demanded clear plans for resettlement and compensation.

(The PUNCH)