Coalition Urges Sincerity, Immediate Urban Plan as Makoko Demolitions Spark Tension

 

By oluwaseyi fadoro 

 The Coalition for Good Governance (CGG) on Tuesday called for sincerity among stakeholders and the urgent implementation of a comprehensive urban development plan for Makoko following renewed demolitions in the waterfront community by the Lagos State Government.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the leader of the group, Mr. Nelson Ekujumi, said the controversy surrounding the latest demolition exercise — particularly structures erected under high-tension power lines has been marked by mutual accusations between government officials and residents.

Ekujumi noted that Makoko has remained a flashpoint in Lagos’ urban renewal efforts, recalling previous demolitions carried out in 2005 and 2012 over environmental and public safety concerns.

“For decades, Makoko has stood as one of Lagos’ most controversial urban spaces,” he said, describing the settlement as home to an estimated 80,000 to 250,000 residents, many of whom live in stilted wooden structures over the lagoon with limited access to sanitation, potable water and electricity.

While acknowledging that government concerns about buildings erected under high-tension power lines and in flood-prone areas were valid from a regulatory standpoint, 

Ekujumi expressed concern over what he described as a breakdown of trust between the authorities and the community.

He explained that the state government had previously engaged community leaders in dialogue and reached an agreement requiring residents to remove structures that violated approved safety distances from the power lines. 

However, he alleged that the residents failed to fulfil their part of the agreement, prompting government intervention.

The recent demolitions have since sparked protests and allegations of insincerity from residents, who claim the government acted outside the agreed parameters.

“The point of concern is who is saying the truth,” 

Ekujumi said. “Is it the residents who failed to fulfil what they willingly promised to do, or the government that was compelled to enforce compliance in line with its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property?”

While commiserating with families who lost homes and livelihoods, the coalition maintained that the government has a duty to prevent actions that endanger public safety.

Ekujumi also used the opportunity to commend the Lagos State House of Assembly for intervening by constituting a committee of relevant stakeholders and ordering a temporary suspension of the demolitions to ease tensions.

The group welcomed assurances from the state government that affected properties would be enumerated and that the matter would be handled with what officials described as “a human face.”

The coalition further called for the immediate implementation of a comprehensive urban development programme for Makoko to avert potential disaster. It urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu not to backtrack on efforts to clear hazardous structures, warning of catastrophic consequences should a high-tension power line collapse into the lagoon.

Ekujumi also demanded greater transparency, sincerity and improved communication in future engagements, stating that past interactions had exposed trust deficits that undermined efforts to find lasting solutions.

As discussions continue, attention remains on how authorities and community representatives will balance urban renewal and public safety with the rights and livelihoods of thousands of residents in Makoko.