Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway: Protesters Storm Works Ministry Over Demolition Of Properties
PROTESTERS in their numbers have stormed the Federal Ministry of Works, Mabushi, Abuja, to demand adequate compensation for their demolished properties along the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway.
With the protesters carrying placards with inscriptions such as ‘Ministry of Works is complicit in abrupt road diversion’, ‘International investors deserve protection not demolition’, ‘Free Obanla now’, group leaders — Declan Ihekaire and Shina Loremikan — under the aegis of Coalition of Civil Rights Against Impunity (CCRAI), said they would continue to protest for citizens’ rights until the government tackle the issue at hand.
While demanding justice and compensation commensurate with the value of the demolished properties without delay, the group expressed disappointment that the government’s action can scare citizens away from investing in their own country.
“I am here in conjunction with my other colleagues who believe that equity should be equity. Those who believe in fairness. Those who believe that oppressive tendencies should be resisted. So, what we are saying is that justice, justice now. When do we want it? Now. What do we want? Justice.
“So, we are here at the Ministry of Works, Abuja. The same way we were at the Ministry of Lands in Lagos some weeks ago, to tell the Honourable Minister of Works that he has not been fair to Nigerians who invested so much in the corridor where you have the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road.
“We are saying there is nothing wrong with constructing that road. But there is so much wrong when you take over people’s property, legitimate property, properties that have a C of O and you take over such property without compensation.
“We are saying ‘no’ to that. We are also saying ‘no’ to a situation where you convince Nigerians to come from overseas and put down their hard-earned currency. And after putting down such money in a property, you come and you demolish.
“How do you now tell others there to come back and invest? So, it is a case of you giving and also taking away. We are also saying that a young Nigerian, Obanla, was also abducted at the site some time ago.
“And to date, we are yet to locate where Obanla is. We are also saying that Obanla should be released to the family. And so, we are saying enough is enough,” Ihekaire said.
While urging the National Assembly to call the minister to order, Ihekaire said the victims should be given the same treatment as the Super Falcons and D’Tigress, as they also laboured for their property.
“We have enough money to compensate those whose property has been taken away. Just a few days ago, our Falcons did well. And after doing well, they were paid millions of naira, $100 million to each player.
“And we are saying if we have so much to appreciate people, we should also have so much to compensate people whose property has been taken away,” he said.
Efforts to get the views of the ministry’s officials proved abortive as the minister was said to be out of town.
(THISDAY)
