The people of Okun Ajah in the Eti Osa Local Government area of Lagos State have kicked against the planned diversion of the Coastal road in the community from the alignment and gazetted portion .
They, therefore appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Works,David Umahi to ensure that the Coastal road in the community is in concordance with the 2006 gazetted alignment plan
The anger from the indigenes and residents of the town was a result of last week’s announcement by the Minister of Works ,David Umahi, that the Federal Government will reroute the Okun Ajah section of the Lagos – Calabar Coastal road .
The residents averred that rerouting the Costal road in Okun Ajah is not only a miscarriage of justice to those ,who adhered to and observed the road alignment but also a bad omen to other road alignments in the country .
The residents explained that those ,who are affected by the new diversion of the road are those ,who avoided the alignment and acquired the necessary documents such as Certificate of Occupancy , Governor’s Consent and other necessary documents from the Lagos State Government .
The affected individuals were taken aback when, despite assurances at the last stakeholders’ meeting at Eko Hotel, Lagos, their properties were last week marked for demolition .”
The Minister of Works had assured them that their properties would remain unaffected as they were developed outside the gazetted areas designated for the Coastal road project.
An indigene of the town, Yussuf Olatunji Odunuga said ” Since we got the excision for this village in 2006 under the then Governor Bola Tinubu, now President of Nigeria, there was an alignment for Coastal road and it was gazetted “
He continued that ” Everybody in the town knows that there is a Coastal road alignment and but some people went ahead to build on some parts of the alignment thinking that government will not come and construct the road in future .”
The indigene also stated that ” Now that it is the time for the construction of the road ,the minister is trying to divert the road from the houses of those ,who built on the alignment at the expense of those ,adhered to the alignment .
” It is really unjust and confusing. Those who are affected now have the valid docents from the government, while those, who built on the Costal road do not .” Odunuga said
Alhaji Kazeem Shittu,a member of the Baale in Council of Okun Ajah also called on the minister to revert to the alignment of the Coastal road to douse the tension in the town .
He appreciated the president and the minister for their efforts on the Coastal road but enjoined them to maintain the 2006 alignment
Alhaji Kazeem said ” Reverting to the Coastal road alignment of 2006 will engender peace and unity in the community . The Minister of Work should go back to the gazetted alignment of the Coastal road in our community. “
The Akogun on Okun Ajah Chief Saeed Olukosi also appealed to the Minister of Works to return to the gazetted alignment ,noting that rerouting the road is like punishing those ,who observed and followed the law to favour law breaker .
Chief Olukosi said, ” We were there when President Tinubu came to flag off the road, and we were all happy with the way it was . We are supposed now that the minister is changing the route in Okun Ajah .”
” Before now ,we have had a stakeholders ‘ meeting at Eko Hotel, where it was agreed that the road will follow the gazetted alignment but we are but what the minister is saying is not clear to us .”
He appealed that ” There have already been compensation plan for those , who are affected on the Coastal road alignment,the minister should adhere to the alignment and not create new victims .”
Ajigbotosho Oluwasegun, a property owner, said, ” I have been living here for many years and did the necessary confirmation about the Coastal road before building my house. “
” I want to appeal to the minister to follow due process and let the road align with the gazetted portion in Okun Ajah . Those ,who built on the Coastal road cannot be pampered at the expense of those of us ,who are law abiding .
