Sanwo-Olu, Ezekwesili trade words over Makoko demolitions

Sanwo-Olu, Ezekwesili trade words over Makoko demolitions

Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, yesterday engaged in a public exchange over the recent demolition exercise in Makoko, Lagos, raising questions over legality, governance and humanitarian concerns.

Ezekwesili criticised both the Federal and Lagos State governments, describing the demolitions as unconstitutional, inhumane and an abuse of state power against vulnerable communities.

In a memorandum addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu, the former minister accused authorities of dispossessing some of the country’s poorest citizens under the guise of safety and urban renewal.

She questioned whether Lagos operates as a community of equal citizens or one where economic value supersedes human dignity, adding that Nigeria’s democratic framework appears to favour the economically privileged at the expense of the poor.

Ezekwesili argued that residents of Makoko are not illegal settlers but Nigerian citizens whose rights have been persistently undermined due to their socioeconomic status. According to her, many residents rely on fishing, informal trading and small-scale businesses for survival.

She noted that repeated demolitions and years of neglect have entrenched a pattern in which poverty is treated as justification for exclusion from citizenship rights.

The founder of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance (SPPG) said the latest demolition contradicted earlier assurances given by Lagos State officials.

According to her, community leaders were initially informed that only structures within a 30 to 50-metre safety buffer around high-tension power lines would be affected, an understanding under which residents cooperated.

She, however, alleged that the demolition later extended hundreds of metres beyond the agreed limits, affecting homes, schools, clinics and sources of livelihood that posed no safety risk.

“A government that alters agreed conditions mid-operation and widens demolition boundaries without notice is not enforcing the law but abusing its authority,” Ezekwesili said.

She further alleged that the operation resulted in fatalities and likened the exercise to a forceful land seizure intended to serve elite interests, describing it as a form of “class cleansing” of poor communities from prime waterfront locations.

Ezekwesili warned that the demolition had triggered a humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands of families, disrupting education and exposing vulnerable groups to hunger, disease and insecurity. She said once government actions result in homelessness, the state bears an immediate constitutional and moral responsibility to provide relief and protection.

Responding, Governor Sanwo-Olu rejected the allegations and accused some local and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) of exploiting the situation for financial gain.

Speaking to journalists, the governor said the state government was scrutinising the activities of certain NGOs and would present evidence to support its claims.

“We are aware that some local and international NGOs are attempting to profit from this situation. We are monitoring them and will provide evidence,” Sanwo-Olu said.

He alleged that the organisations had received substantial funding from international donors in the name of supporting affected communities but failed to deliver tangible assistance.

“They have secured significant grants and resources, yet they have not fulfilled the commitments they made. What we are seeing is an attempt to cover up those failures,” the governor stated.

Sanwo-Olu added that the alleged profiteering partly explained the intensity of criticism directed at the state government.

“That is why some people are protesting louder than those directly affected. We are prepared to explain why certain decisions had to be taken,” he said.

The governor maintained that the demolition exercise was necessary and justified, insisting that it was carried out primarily to protect lives due to the dangers posed by illegal structures erected under high-tension power lines.