By Global Information Network (GIN)
Aug. 13 (GIN) – Local officials in Lagos, Nigeria, who accepted a $200 million loan from the World Bank to “increase sustainable access to basic urban services,” are instead creating an unaffordable complex of 1,000 luxury units on the grounds where poor and working people recently lived.

According to a new report from Amnesty International, partnering with the Nigerian Social and Economic Rights Action Center (SERAC), tens of thousands of Lagosians who lived in the Badia East area which fronts the scenic Gulf of Guinea, have been homeless since their devastating evictions in February on short notice. Self-built homes were bulldozed and the one-time residents were forced to sleep out in the open or under a bridge.

"The effects of February's forced eviction have been devastating," said Amnesty's Oluwatosin Popoola.

It wasn’t the first time the Lagos government diverted money intended to improve life for the large riverine community. Since the early 1990s, grants from World Bank money for ‘slum clearance’ were instead the motive for the mass eviction of area residents without resettlement. In 1997, more evictions were ordered for some 2,000 residents who were chased off by armed guards from even salvaging their own possessions.

A new round of demolitions began in 2003 following a 48 hour notice, but was stopped midway by non-violent resistance. After a short interlude, the evictions resumed again in October 2003. Some 3,000 residents of Oke Ilu-Eri were left without compensation or replacement homes. Again in March 2013, hundreds of homes were demolished by the ‘Kick Against Indiscipline’ brigade.

In an interview with the New York Times, the Lagos state commissioner for housing, Adedeji Olatubosun Jeje, provided a different version of events.

 

“It’s a regeneration of a slum,” he said. “We gave enough notification. The government intends to develop 1,008 housing units. What we removed was just shanties. Nobody was even living in those shanties. Maybe we had a couple of squatters living there.”

 

The Lagos state Attorney-General claimed they were merely clearing empty land. “It was just a rubbish dump,” he maintained.

 

As for the new housing, “there’s not a chance they can afford it,” said Felix Morka, SERAC’s executive director told the Times. Badia residents earn under $100 a month on average.

 

“The Lagos state government has failed to comply with national and international law. It is high time that the Lagos state government and the Nigerian government stop forced evictions and enact legal safeguards that apply to all evictions,” said Amnesty’s Popoola.

 

Amnesty and SERAC are calling on the governor of Lagos State, Babatunde Fashola, to publicly commit to stopping forced evictions, and on the World Bank to put safeguards in place to ensure it does not support any activities which may result in forced evictions in the future. w/pix of homeless family in Badia East

http://mobile.saharareporters.com/news-page/luxury-living-lagos-built-world-bank-funds-poor

Hahaha! Another opportunity to increase my stake in Lagos. I must buy a property in this prime location not minding that some of those evicted may have 'deported' themselves back to their villages in Ogbomosho and Okitipupa.

Since morning, this topic never reach frontpage abi

Like it or not this is what development looks like.

1000 wealthy people will move to the neighborhood with their families. Their tax will provide for more government services, and their high incomes will support the local businesses.

Slums are what Lagos IS, a world class megacity is where Lagos is GOING. Ask yourself honestly, what would YOU do with the people in the slums? They can't stay on illegal land, in illegal structures forever.

Like it, or not, this is what development looks like.

1000 wealthy people will move to the neighborhood with their families. Their tax will provide for more government services, and their high incomes will support the local businesses.

Slums are what Lagos IS, a world class megacity is where Lagos is GOING. Ask yourself honestly, what would YOU do with the people in the slums? They can't stay on illegal land, in illegal structures forever.

A loan has to be paid back. How u goin to make your money back investing in those that don't have money??

I mean, this is common sense na.

Who makes up a username like that...Retard.

BlackBaron: Who makes up a username like that...Retard.

Who are you referring to?

Fashola takes money (loan) from d World Bank after telling the Bank it wants to use it to 'help the poor'; Bank grants request; Fashola collects money and chases away the Poor people d money was meant for; the Poor people become homeless and 'destitute', Fashola's men catches them, puts them in Concentration (sorri, 'Rehabilitation') camps and DEPORTS them in order to 'reunite them with their families'; Meanwhile, Fashola uses that same money he purportedly borrowed to help d Poor to build fine luxurious houses for d Rich; Fashola shouts 'Eko Oni baje o'; Ekoile, Gbawe, Payless, Bloodiblogger, Blacktooth, Airhead, Berem, Abagboro, etc, re-shouts 'O baje ti dan dan'......... E clear

taharqa: Fashola takes money (loan) from d World Bank after telling the Bank it wants to use it to 'help the poor'; Bank grants request; Fashola collects money and chases away the Poor people d money was used for; the Poor people become homeless and 'destitute', Fashola's men catches them, puts them in Concentration (sorri, 'Rehabilitation') camps and DEPORTS them in order to 'reunite them with their families'; Meanwhile, Fashola uses that same money he purportedly borrowed to help d Poor to build fine luxurious houses for d Rich; Fashola shouts 'Eko Oni baje o'; Ekoile, Gbawe, Payless, Bloodiblogger, Blacktooth, Airhead, Berem, Abagboro, etc, shouts 'O baje ti'......... E clear

You forgot that the world bank gave the money for 'slum clearance'.

Fasole!

iamswizz: Since morning, this topic never reach frontpage abi

any topic against fash is as good as dead or deleted.

You see Amaechi demolished Abonema wharf ghetto for the same reason Fashola demolished Badia but while Amaechi is building his very own tank farm on that same site, Fashola is housing people on his own site.

Kairoseki77:

You forgot that the world bank gave the money for 'slum clearance'.

You get eye problem, ni??

taharqa: You get eye problem, ni??

Re-read the article s-l-o-w-l-y.

Fashola's anti-poor orientation is already trite, so that is one topic that does not need debate.

What I find extremely worrisome about these so-called "luxury" housing projects is that most of these units end up empty and unoccupied, while thousands of struggling families grapple with accommodation problems. Typically, one corrupt politician or thieving banker buys up tens of service flat apartments and duplexes all over the place with ill-gotten funds. I know of a corrupt ex bank director that bought about 8 units of three and four bedroom flats in 1004 alone when it was renovated and sold out by UACN. The same guy also owns countless other apartments around Lekki. His family can only occupy one or two, and he puts a few of his mistresses in one or two, is able to rent one or two, while the others remain unoccupied. They essentially buy up all the properties to tie down their ill-gotten wealth.

What this means is that most of these housing projects do not solve real housing problems of ordinary people, even for the middle class, since there is a lopsided distribution of ownership and occupancy. You can't keep building luxury apartments that can only be afforded by those who ALREADY own several other houses. Are you solving accommodation problems or are you merely creating avenues for primitive acquisition and greed? Surely, this is not a housing model that serious governments want to follow. We really do have a big problem on our hands in this country.

Otu_nnegi_there: Hahaha! Another opportunity to increase my stake in Lagos. I must buy a property in this prime location not minding that some of those evicted may have 'deported' themselves back to their villages in Ogbomosho and Okitipupa.

*smh*