Some landlords in Lagos State whose houses were demolished at Igbogbo-Baiyeku council area, on Monday protested alleged non-payment of compensation three years after the demolition by the state government.
The landlords, who carried placards, said that all the documents required from them for the compensation had been submitted to the appropriate quarters.
The placards had inscriptions such as “Save Our Soul”, “Please Listen”, “Three Years Today”, “We are Homeless” and “Mr Governor, Pay Us Compensation”.
Jacob Arogundade, Chairman, Igbogbo Residents Association, said during the protest that the affected house owners were going through hardships.
He appealed to the Lagos State Government to pay them without further delay.
“We have done a lot to bring this situation to the notice of the government, it kept promising us. Till now nothing has been done.
“We are suffering because of the dust emanating from the unconstructed road,” Arogundade said.
According to him, some of those affected by the demolition have died.
“We have spent three years in penury; we are homeless.
“I am a 76-year-old pensioner, everything I laboured for, I used in building my house, but today it is no more.
“We have lived three years in this condition; we have lost more than 25 of our members.
“Government should please come to our aid,” he said.
Also, 69-year-old Mrs Dorcas Aroyewun, a landlady, appealed to the government to fulfill its promise to compensate the house owners.
She said that the affected people had met the conditions for compensation.
“The last time we went to the governor’s office to protest, we were persuaded to go home, that our money would be paid soon,” she said.
Pastor Obadare Gabriel of the Cherubim and Seraphim Church also appealed to the government to compensate the house owners without further delay.
A Muslim cleric, Imam Ahmed Abdulraheem, called on Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu to listen to the landlords.
“Most of us have no alternative sources of income and are old,” he said.
NAN
