Burnt Oko-Baba Market: Victims kick against relocation

RESIDENTS and traders of Oko-Baba,
Ebute Metta area of Lagos State have
urged the state government to design a
‘Master Plan’ for the area instead of
relocating them to Timber village, in
Ikorodu Local Government Area of the
state.
This came as Oko-Baba Internally
Displaced People, IDPs, abandoned the
Agbowa Relief Camp, in Ikorodu suburb
over alleged poor living conditions.
There are about 450 IDPs including 98
children in the camp.
Three weeks ago, fire gutted the Oko-
Baba Sawmill, destroying equipment
worth millions of naira and rendered
about 1000 people homeless.
Speaking during an inspection tour of
ongoing projects at the proposed
relocation site for Oko-Baba Saw millers,
Governor Babatunde Fashola said: “It is
going to be a clearly articulated timber
village that is a whole industry on its
own with offices, trailer park and other
ancillary services like welding, carpentry
and woodwork. What is further
interesting about the Timber Village is
the housing estate that is being
constructed where people can live with
modern housing facilities away from the
unsightly and unacceptable conditions
that now exist.
“We made an agreement with them; I
signed on behalf of government a
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with them. This is the future that we
want for them. We are delivering on our
promise and there is going to be a
community of about 3000 houses here
with the first 400 already done.”
However, contrary to earlier claims by
the General Manager of Lagos State
Emergency Management Authority,
LASEMA, Dr Femi Oke-Osanyintolu that
IDPs were daily storming the camp,
when Megacityspotlight visited the
camp last weekend, it was virtually
deserted as there were few people
around. Though, about 450 IDPs are said
to be accommodated only few people
were seen around.
Osanyintolu had earlier claimed that the
IDPs would also be taught vocational
skills by the state’s Ministry of Women
Affairs and Poverty Alleviation and
emergency stakeholders such as UNICEF,
LASAMBUS, Nigeria Security and Civil
Defence Corps, none of these officials
was on camp when Vanguard visited.
Also, there was no transportation
provided. LASEMA boss had claimed:
“We have also provided transportation
needs for them at the camp. By 6 am
bus takes some of them to Mile 12 while
in the evening precisely, by 6. 30 pm,
they are returned to the camp. That is
for those who intend to go out of the
place.”During his visit to the camp recently to
assess state of the victims, he said that
everything needed to mitigate
the effect of the loss of properties on
the victims had been provided in the
camp in accordance with the governor’s
directives, adding that efforts were also
ongoing by the state‘s Ministry of
Education to take charge of the
education needs of the displaced
children in the camp.
We’ve no means of livelihood – Victims
One of the IDPs at Agbowa, Mrs.
Folashade Ojeshipe, commended the
state government for its gesture, saying:
“We were well fed here but we need
help for clothing and we need some
pocket money because we have no
means of livelihood. And also the
government should remember its
promise to keep us here for only three
months. I lost my house and the stall to
the inferno but most importantly, they
are yet to take care of the schooling of
our children, they just keep on roaming
about. We need Fashola’s immediate
intervention on this. “
Another IDP, a graduate of Yaba College
of Technology, Mr. Olamutu Olatunji, an
Artist, appealed passionately to Fashola
for financial assistance as he had lost all
he owned to the fire. “I have been
redundant by not working. I want
Governor Fashola to assist me
financially. I do monument on
structures, all my materials got burnt in
the inferno. In fact I lost everything I
owned to the inferno.”
Why we’re against relocation
However, some of the victims that
aandoned Agbowa and dn’t want to be
relocated to Ikorodu contended that
Oko-Baba has for decades been their
home and their main source of
livelihood, hence, relocation would make
them lose their heritage.
They added that it would cost the
government less to design a master plan
for the area that would include
residential, offices and sawmill than to
commence new construction.
Mrs. Ayoka Salako, one of the residents,
said, “I want to rebuild my house. I don’t
want to leave this place, even to
Agbowa relief camp.”
According to Salako, a septuagenarian,
“this was where I gave birth to my six
children. I have nowhere to go. I have
lived here for long. Where does he
(governor) want me to relocate to? This
is my heritage. I am not ready to leave
this place. I am ready to rebuild my
structure. What we want from the
government is to design the area in a
way that the residents would live
separately from the saw millers,” adding
“I felt relieved when I heard that the
governor would be visiting the scene.
And when he came, I expected him to
sympathize with us; disburse some
funds to the victims to rebuild our
structures and proffer solution on how
to end fire disaster in the area. Instead
he ordered that we should be relocated.”
Mr. Fola Muhammed, a trader, said: “The
relocation plan by the state government
cannot be possible. I am the one
managing my father’s business since his
demise. And my father started the
business here before my birth. I am not
ready to relocate my father’s business. If
I relocate the business away from here
to wherever the government planned to
build its new timber village, what will
happen to the avalanche of customers I
have? So I am not ready to lose any of
my customers. This is the hub of plank
market business in the country.”
Mrs. Funmilayo Gbadamosi said that she
had experienced life at both Agbowa
and Oko-Baba, “but I prefer to live in the
latter.”
Gbadamosi, a petty trader explained “I
was among the victims who went to the
resettlement camp at Agbowa. But I had
to leave because the camp isn’t
conducive for habitation especially for
me. Several others have also abandoned
the camp for the city. While at the camp I
was idle. And when I decided to leave
the camp to my office, I couldn’t cope
with the cost of transportation
considering the type of business I
operate.”
Mr. Abiodun Adewole, whose office was
razed, commended Fashola for the
relocation of the victims to Agbowa
relief camp, saying “It shows that the
governor understand leadership.”
Adewole however said “what would be
the fate of the victims after three
months when they would be required to
leave the camp. Will there be any
provision after they leave the camp?”
Conditions for relocation to Timber
Village
Adewole noted that the traders and the
residents could not be relocated until
adequate facilities that would aid their
resettlement were provided at the new
timber village, saying “until then, the
government shouldn’t think of
relocation.”
He stated that the place must be closer to
a lagoon, as this would aid the
movement of logs into the market. “A
fire station and schools must be
provided for the traders and the
residents. There must also be recreation
centres for the workers; an independent
power project (IPP) must be provided to
supply electricity at the centre. The
reason for this is the business relies on
power supply for its survival. Also, the
new village must be designed to
accommodate the avalanche of workers
who rely on the market for their daily
survival. ”