4th October, 2010
Artisans under the aegis of Lagos State Mechanics and Technicians Association in Yaba Local Council Development Area of Lagos State, South West Nigeria, have protested the demolition of their workshops located around Oyadiran Estate, by Lagos State Task Force officials, describing the exercise and wicked.
In a petition written to the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, the artisans stated that the exercise which was carried out in the early hours of Saturday, 25 September, 2010, was done without consideration for the plight of the members as they were caught unawares and as such, could not take anything out of the place.
According to them, the piece of land, allegedly being claimed by the Onitiri family represented by one Pastor Remi Onitiri, belonged to the late Pa S.A. Oyadiran and was leased to them by the deceased’s children, Alhaja (Chief) Kofoworola Oyadiran and her sister, Modupe.
They also stated that they were not given any notice to pack their things and only caught unawares, more so that the day fell on the monthly environmental sanitation day, adding that they only got to their places of work after the exercise to find that the place had been levelled by bulldozers and their belongings destroyed.
On enquiry, the exercise was said to have been carried out on the instructions of the state government through the state’s Ministry of the Environment. This, however, have been debunked, pointing accusing finger at Pastor Onitiri as the initiator of the demolition.
They therefore called on the Chairman of Yaba LCDA, Mr. Olajide Jimoh, who they have absolved of any involvement in the demolition and the state governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to come to their rescue as they have been rendered jobless while many others are now homeless.