How Lagos govt demolished my shops illegally, by contractor

Alhaji Rafiu Olanrewaju, a busi­nessman and contractor, is in deep agony. And he’s accusing the Lagos State Government of being the mastermind of his travails. According to him, for years, all he had wanted was to contribute his quota to the Governor Babatunde Fashola’s dream of transforming Lagos into a mega city. Thus, when the opportunity to actualise his aspiration came in 2009, through the reconstruction and modernisation of Idera International Market, Obadore, under the Igando-Ikotun Local Council Development Area, he quickly jumped at it.
According to Alhaji Olanrewaju, who is the chairman and managing director of Raf-Lance Construction Limited, after the contract was awarded, the LCDA immediately sought the approval of Governor Babatunde Fashola through the Commissioner for Local...
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs to commence construction. An approval, he said, was granted in a letter, dated January 29, 2010, with Ref. no. MLG.C27/S.45/130.
Subsequently, necessary approvals were also sought from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development and were granted after which the necessary approval fees were paid.
According to him: “After the contract was awarded, I went to the office of the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development for approval and my drawing was accessed on April 28, 2010. On June 22, I got a waiver of 40 per cent from the governor. I also got a letter of approval from the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, dated January 29, 2010 and another one from the Chief of Staff to the Lagos State Government, dated August 6, 2010. I later got a letter of the balance of assessment to be paid by installment on July 7, 2011. After making all the necessary payments, I received a letter to that effect from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development on June 6, 2012.”
Alhaji Olanrewaju noted that his company commenced construction of the market, explaining that in order not to displace the traders, the construction was divided into three phases, to allow traders, who bought into the scheme move in gradually.
He disclosed that about 35 traders purchased forms for the purpose of retaining their stay in the market from the LCDA, noting that their money formed part of funds expended on the project with the understanding that they would be allocated shops once the project was completed.
Alhaji Olanrewaju, however, disclosed that immediately he finished paying the balance of assessment fee to the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, its officials sealed the construction site, alleging that the construction was 7.8 metres away from the road setback instead of the official nine metres.
He explained that they were still on the matter when, suddenly, on the night of November 25, 2012, bulldozers from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, without notice of demolition, rolled into the market and pulled down both existing and new structures on site. He lamented that in all, 63 new shops were pulled down, including a pharmacy and a well equipped medical laboratory.
According to the contractor, the news of the demolition landed him in the hospital and he is yet to recover from the shock. He also disclosed that most of those that bought into the scheme were retirees, who used their retirement benefits for payment, adding that the action dealt them a huge psychological blow.
He recalled that while still trying to absorb the news of the demolition on his hospital bed, his attention was drawn to activities of people, digging out iron and excavating sand from the site, to which he quickly made a report at Igando Police Station.
“Policemen stormed the place and some of the men, digging out iron from the foundation of the market and truck drivers were arrested, but were later released. When asked who authorised the operation, they said it was one Prince Tola. The matter has since not made any headway,” he said.
Lamenting what he described as the Lagos State indifference to the action, and the fact that no valid reason had been given for the demolition, he alleged that his travails were politically motivated. He also alleged the complicity of the Igando-Ikotun LCDA Chairman, Chief Morenike Adesina-Williams, in the matter, stressing that efforts to reach her on the issue had proved abortive
The distraught man lamented that the demolition had not only made him indebted to the bank but had also made him bankrupt, thereby throwing him into a sudden state of impoverishment. He also lamented that he was constantly bombarded with court summons and arrests, as traders that bought into the scheme were always on his neck.
Alhaji Olanrewaju noted that his employees and allottes whose goods and property were destroyed during the demolition were suffering greatly.
According to him: “Due to the viable prospect of the project, a huge number of buyers subscribed for the shops and had paid. The allegation that the shop was against a required setback was wrong because there were other buildings that even encroached further into the road than the market construction. I see the action as more political. Everything came as a surprise because the construction of the market was approved by the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in a letter issued on January 29, 2010 with Ref. No MLG/C27/S.45/130. In another letter dated June 7, 2010, it was also approved by the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
He alleged that after demolition, all efforts made to reach the relevant authorities on the matter proved abortive, adding that even the traders that bought into the scheme had visited the governor’s office repeatedly and were allegedly warned by security operatives, manning Fashola’s office not to repeat their visit.
He said several appeal letters had also been written to the Lagos State Governor, without any meaningful response or action emanating from the governor’s quarters.
One of the letters to the Lagos State Governor from Royal-Equity Chamber, solicitor of the embattled contractor and dated December 6, 2012, sought the governor’s necessary intervention and assistance in the matter.
The letter partly reads: “The financial implication of the aforementioned demolition on our client and its customer-allotees is an incalculable loss. It is also pathetic and frustrating incident that has caused them a big psychological trauma. We in chambers have assured our client that once this matter is brought to your notice; justice would not only be done but would seem to have been done.”
However, just like other letters earlier written, Alhaji Olanrewaju said he felt more saddened and disappointed by the silence that has since greeted his solicitor’s letter.
The inaction, he said, prompted him to write a petition to the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs and the State House of Assembly to wade into the matter.
Alhaji Olanrewaju said he felt battered by the very system meant to protect him. He appealed to the Lagos State Governor to intervene and save him from further suffering and humiliation.
“Since nothing meaningful has come out from all my actions, I decided to take it to the court of public opinion to see justice. The traders are threatening to take legal actions against my company and the bank we borrowed money from are also on our neck. At this stage, I want the Lagos State Government to pay me a compensation of N53, 249, 620, which was the amount expended on the project before the demolition.”
When a call was put through to the Igando-Ikotun LCDA Chairman, Chief Morenike Adesina-Williams, on the issue, she asked the reporter to call back in 30 minutes. Several calls later made to her mobile phone were not answered.
At the demolished sight, most of the traders, it was observed, have since embraced the fate that befell them, as they were seen going about the day’s business in makeshift shops. They refused to speak and directed the reporter to the LCDA.