Lagos community protests over Lagos-Calabar road alignment, begs Tinubu

August 23, 2024

The Okun-Ajah community made the appeal during a peaceful protest in Lagos on Thursday, as they asked for the implementation of the original Lagos-Calabar Coastal alignment.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the community lawyer, Bolanle Olugbani, begged President Bola Tinubu not to allow anybody to tamper with the original coastal road alignment.

The protesters carried various placards with inscriptions “Mr Umahi, Keep to your words”, “Property owners along the gazetted coastal alignment should bear the consequences, do not encourage impunity”, “Illegal construction on the original coastal road should not be encouraged,” among others.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the counsel begged the government not to deviate from the original alignment the minister had agreed to follow.

He said: “I am here to support the protest with regards to the coastal road alignment which we are hearing from reliable sources is about to be tampered with, after almost 30 years.

“The coastal road alignment was passed into law by the Lagos State government in collaboration with the Federal Government almost 30 years ago. The alignment designated a particular corridor for the future which is now the present coastal road.

“People who bought land in the Lekki axis, particularly the Okun-Ajah, Mokun, Akinlade and its environs, were advised to do their due diligence to avoid buying land in an area that is already committed for the coastal road.

“Many people didn’t comply, they bought properties at a humongous amount, built estates and invested heavily only for the Federal Government to decide to begin the coastal road 26 years after.

“So, those who do not conform with the original alignment deliberately bought lands in areas already designated for Coastal road,” he pointed out.

Olugbani said the community also had equal rights and they had conformed with the original coastal road alignment by not infringing on the committed and designated coastal road corridor.

He pleaded with the government not to change the gazetted alignment.

The counsel urged the president not to allow the people who had conformed with the gazetted coastal alignment to be made victims.

Responding, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Keisha, appreciated the protesters for not taking laws into their own hands and opting for a peaceful protest

“You have come as peaceful protesters to come and bare out your minds to the government and this government is a listening government.

“The honourable minister has demonstrated on several occasions that he listens. I am sure as you are doing this, the information is going to get to him.

“I have already informed him that people are complaining about the alignment and he asked me to let you come last Sunday but I couldn’t because it was on Sallah day. So he promised to come back in a week.

“I believe the minister does not look down on people. He listens. It is just that it is impossible to please everybody,” she said.

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