Lagos water corporation marks about 400 houses for demolition in Ogun

The Lagos State Government through the State Water Corporation has marked about 400 houses for demolition to pave way for laying of water pipelines in Agbado -Okearo community of Ogun State.

The residents of the area appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently prevail on the Lagos State Water Corporation to stop further demolition of houses in the area.

Speaking in an interview with newsmen, Mr Samson Abegunde, the Chairman, Agbado-Okearo CDA, said most of the landlords have been living in the area since 1972 without any problem.

”We are appealing to Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, a listening and sympathetic governor, to assist we, landlords, by prevailing on his Lagos counterpart to stop the demolition of their houses.

“The community has been in existence after the civil war, while the water corporation was established in 1986.

“Also, most landlords in the community have necessary documents like the approved plans by Ogun State Government,” he said.

Abegunde said that with the recession throughout the whole world, it was unbelievable for the Lagos Water Corporation to say they wanted to demolish houses.

The chairman noted that houses were not demolished in Lagos when pipelines for the water project were being laid.

He said that the last time they embarked on laying of water pipes led to the death of many landlords without compensations.

The chairman, however, suggested that they could use the power lines behind the waterworks as an alternative route to Lagos.

He also said that they could use the piggery farm at Okearo area as an alternative route to Lagos.

Also, Mr Christopher Ajayi, a former Chairman of CDA, said that over 400 houses have been marked for demolition by the corporation.

Ajayi said they were surprised to see the officials of the water corporation with their task force on July 4 to mark the houses they had worked and laboured for years for demolition.

He claimed that the water corporation initially wanted to pass the pipelines through Abosule, Agbado area, but the landlords went to court against the plans and won the case.

According to him, this action stopped them from going further than.

Ajayi said that most of the landlords have their Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) issued to them by Ogun Government.

Efforts to speak with the Project Manager, Lagos State Water Corporation, Mr Wole Agiri, was unsuccessful.

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