‘Something desperate must be done here’

Chief Sina Ogunbambo is the chairman of one of the estates sharing boundaries with the abattoir. He shars the residents’ frustration and pains with KEHINDE AKINSEHINDE JAYEOBA.

What is the experience like living close to an abattoir?

We cherish the fact that the government wants to turn Lagos into a mega city and we buy into the idea and will play our part where we can. The road has been there for a long time. When the government came to tar the road, they stopped at the Agric-Fagba Road whereas this is where trailers usually park. Now that the government said they are building a park for the trailers, they are yet to tar the road. If the road is tarred, it will make it easier for trailers to enter the abattoir, discharge their cows and move out as and when due. We just want to make a passionate appeal to the state governor. We have written to the government and issued press statements to make things right for us. I am sure the governor is not aware. If he is, we know he will do it. We are pleading with him. We, the residents of Mosunmola Drive, Sina Ogunbambo Street and the entire Temidire CDA, are appealing to him to help us resolve this situation.

In fact, we have to abandon our main gate and lock ourselves inside because we cannot move out of the street. When going out, we are delayed for hours. Most times, we have to abandon our vehicles in order to make it to our destinations. Things are especially tough for the women and children.

Another thing is that the environment is not conducive at all. It smells a lot. We want to make a passionate appeal to the government. We know he [the governor] can do it. He should go beyond building hostels for the abattoir workers and do concrete road for us, including where they will park. I am told that they generate much revenue from there as each trailer pays about N10,000. Even if they are generating a lot of money from there, they should consider the welfare of the people.

Aside from the issue of access road, what other ways are the activities at the abattoir affecting your welfare?

We are in Nigeria, a city where you have the rich and the poor. We have feelings; we don’t want these people to be chased away. If it is convenient, the government should have a programme and build houses for them, no matter how cheap. They can be accommodated. If there is no alternative for them, they will keep coming back to rebuild the shanties when demolished. This is not helping matters. If you want to move them, then move them.

We sleep without closing our two eyes. We have to show a lot of tolerance. We have to have maturity, patience.

This place is a centre for various commercial activities. Scraps drivers are there. They destroy vehicles throughout the night. Those selling rams are here. Mechanics are here. The irony of this situation is that the law enforcement agents are here – soldiers, policemen. But the primary responsibility belongs to the government.

On the other side, the railway corporation cleared the shanties recently but they have started rebuilding. We have had cases where train crushed people on the railroad, because the crowd was much and they did not hear the train approaching. The railway corporation should erect demarcations as we have in Oshodi and mount surveillance for three to four months. Then there will be respect. The government should assist us. We are not saying the government should go and dump these people in the Lagoon or whatever, we are saying the government should make provision for them, find another market or any other place they feel they can have their livelihood.

Would you say this place is turning into an IDP camp?

I wouldn’t say that. We know that there is problem in the northern part of the country and people are running away. These people find this place to be a safe haven where they can follow trailers and live without being chased or molested. They can easily find their way around the place. It is like an IDP camp but here they don’t depend on anybody to live. They survive on their own. There are so many of them here. Some are wild looking, some are nasty. It takes a lot of counselling and tolerance, especially for our youths, to prevent any form of communal clash.