The Lagos State House of Assembly has recommended that residents affected by the demolition of waterfront communities in Makoko, Oko-Agbon and Sogunro be relocated to the Agbowa area of Epe in Lagos State.
A statement from the Assembly’s Public Affairs Directorate indicating that the recommendation followed the adoption of a report by the House Committee on Rules and Business during plenary on Tuesday.
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, Hon. 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 read.
It 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 committee also observed that living conditions in Makoko and the surrounding areas deteriorated significantly after the demolition, leading to environmental and health concerns as well as heightened safety risks.
