Hundreds of traders, mainly of Igbo extraction, under the umbrella of the Trade Fair Stakeholders Association, on Monday, protested what they called the willful and malicious demolition of their buildings and business premises by officials of the Lagos State government, last week Thursday.
Describing the demolitions as an act of malice, the angry traders, who carried placards with inscriptions such as ‘Stop destroying our properties’, ‘Our buildings are FG approved’, and ‘This complex is regulated by the Federal Government’, accused the Lagos State government of acting illegally and without due process.
TheNiche had earlier reported that over 19 buildings were on Thursday pulled down at the New Mandela Plaza, within the popular Trade Fair Complex in Lagos, as the state government moved in with a heavy security presence to carry out a massive demolition exercise.
The demolition exercise was carried out under heavy security, with a convoy of trucks from the Lagos State Task Force, Rapid Response Squad, and tactical teams stationed around the plaza. The stern-looking officers restricted access to the premises and sent away traders who attempted to record the exercise.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Chairman of the stakeholders’ forum, Chief Eric Ilechukwu alleged that state officials invaded the complex on 25 September in ‘a commando style’ and pulled down several structures without issuing contravention notices.
Ilechukwu maintained that the demolished buildings had valid approvals from the Trade Fair Management Board, which he said was the statutory authority empowered by law to oversee the complex on behalf of the Federal Government.
His words: “The respective lease agreements we signed clearly indicate that the Board is the approving and supervising authority for constructions within the complex. At no time were we served contravention notices’.
The traders described the demolition as a ‘grave injustice’ and a violation of the rule of law, lamenting that hundreds of business owners have been displaced and subjected to huge financial losses in an already harsh economy.
They also faulted remarks by the Lagos State Commissioner for Information, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, on a national television, who claimed the traders had long been notified to obtain state approvals.
According to them, ‘the Trade Fair Complex is a federal property established by law and managed under the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex Management Board Act, and its ownership cannot be usurped by the state’.
Calling for urgent intervention, the traders urged President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment to wade into the matter, declaring that ‘We remain committed to peace, lawful business’.
One of the affected traders, who is the CEO of Magnum Merchandise Limited, Mr Ike Magnus, claimed that his popular ‘white building’ was demolished despite having federal approvals.
‘In all honesty, we are victims of when two elephants fight. I have lost millions. Even if we are part of the problem, due process should have been followed’, he said tearfully.
Demolition is unfortunate — Management Board
Executive Director of the Lagos International Trade Fair Management Board, Vera Safiya Ndanusa, who addressed the aggrieved traders, sympathised with their plight and confirmed that the complex was under the control of the Federal Government through the Board.
Safiya said: ‘It is unfortunate that we were not carried along before this incident. But I want to assure you that every necessary ministry and agency has been notified. The property belongs to the Federal Government and we intend to resolve this matter amicably’.
On Saturday, a non-govermental organisation, Spaces for Change, criticised the Lagos State Government over the demolitions, warning that it poses a dangerous signal against potential investments in the state.
A statement by Spaces for Change executive director, Victoria Ibezim Ohaeri, said what the team they dispatched to the site found contradicted the claim by the Lagos Government that the demolished malls were illegal structures. Besides, Spaces for Change observed that the demolitions were selective, with the affected structures specifically targeted.
The NGO warned that the actions of the government could send negative signal to potential investors in Lagos. It urged the government to hold those responsible for the unconstitutional act, saying anything less would be a betrayal of the people’s trust and an affront to humanity itself.
