There was a massive protest against the proposed diversion of the Coastal Road alignment in the Okun Ajah community on Thursday at the Federal Ministry of Works headquarters in Lagos State.
Hundreds of residents of the Lagos community defied the heavy rainfall to register their displeasure at what they described as an attempt by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, to favor people from the Eastern part of Nigeria at the expense of others whose properties are outside the Coastal Road alignment.
They called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to institute a probe into the planned diversion of the road in Okun Ajah, where a portion had been earmarked for the project since 2006.
Armed with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Illegal construction on the right of way should not be encouraged,” “Lagos state has a master plan,” “Honourable minister, no ethnic sentiment, keep to your words,” “You promised us renewed hope, don’t punish us,” and “You promised Okun Ajah on national television that you are going back to the old gazetted alignment of 2006,” the residents condemned the planned diversion in clear terms.
Saeed Olukosi, the Akogun of Okun Ajah, described the planned diversion of the road in only Okun Ajah as a miscarriage of justice after the minister decided to pamper those who flagrantly built their houses on the Coastal Road alignment.
The community leader said, “Already, the houses that were built on the Coastal Road alignment had been identified and marked for demolition, but surprisingly, some days ago, the construction workers diverted to an entirely new area and started marking houses.”
“We are shocked that the money bags who violated the law by building illegally had gone to bribe some workers, and they left illegal buildings and diverted to our own buildings, which we legally built.”
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He also continued, “We understand that the presidency may not be aware of the illegality. That’s why we have come to notify them through this peaceful protest at the Federal Ministry of Works office in Lagos.”
“The minister promised us to do the needful and administer justice. Let him investigate what we are saying and give us justice. This administration promised us renewed hope, so he should give us hope and not punish us.”
Counsel to the residents of the town, Barrister Bolanle Olugbani, said, “We are here to protest the planned diversion from the right way. He gave us the assurance that the Federal Government would adhere to the old gazetted alignment.”
“For over thirty years now, everyone buying land in the Okun Ajah community knows that a Coastal Road will pass through the community at some point in the future.”
He continued, “They also conformed to the law, but some money bags bought property from the designated Coastal Road alignment. Lagos State had gazetted not to build on a coastal road, and the minister is not above the law.”
“The law today says the old alignment is where the coastal road should pass. The minister also said it at the stakeholders’ meeting. No amount of money and tribal sentiment should sway him. The minister knows what to do. The minister must not change from the old alignment.”
A landlady in the town, Mrs. Maimuna Usman-Ologunro, said, “We all heard him at the stakeholders’ meeting where he said that the road would pass through the gazetted alignment.”
She wondered, “Why did his men come back to our community to mark our buildings, which are not built on the Coastal Road alignment?”
“The minister should be a man of his word. He cannot continue to take us from one post to another. We have an alignment. We have the 2006 alignment during the regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he was governor of the state.”
“We bought our lands and have our documents intact. I cannot lose my property for another person’s offenses. We knew already that something was ongoing, which is why we are all here.”
Federal Comptroller of Works, Lagos, Mrs. Olukorede Kesha, who received the protesters, assured them that the minister is ready to look into their complaints.
She said, “The minister has demonstrated several times that he is a listening person, and the government is also a listening one. The minister is not afraid to come to Lagos to see you again.”
“In fact, I have told him about you. He was in Lagos last Saturday, and he wanted me to call you on Sunday, but because of the Sallah festival, I told him you people would not come out, that we have to respect that day, and he said okay.”
She also added, “I told him you are complaining, and he promised to come back in a week’s time. I will invite you to air your mind to him. He doesn’t look down on people; it’s impossible to please everyone.”
The controller added, “Nobody is saying justice must not be done. Whenever he comes, tell him what you want, and he will go back to the drawing board.
