By OLAYINKA  AJAYI

Comrade Debo Adeniran, a renowned  human rights activist and the convener of  Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL) bares his mind on the need for urban renewal  in the state. Excerpts:

What is your take on Lagos as an emerging mega city?

Lagos can be considered as the largest mega slum when compared to mega cities around the world. Most parts of Lagos are actually slums, apart from the case of Makoko and Ijora Badia.

Ajegunle, Oshodi, Ajangbadi, Ikotun Egbe are all glorified slums. Oshodi is not developed, only the motor parks in Oshodi are developed. It is just an intentional act to cover the rotten state of the interior. However Lagos is being governed under false pretences . The State government intentionally decorated only areas that can be seen by visitors to make it look as if the whole state is neat, prosperous and well planned.

*Debo

But in reality, most neighborhoods in Lagos state do not have the facilities to be considered as a mega city apart from the population. Ordinarily, the concept of a mega city is not about how beautiful a state is, it is about the ability of a government to manage a mega population that inhabit a city comfortably.

Any city that harbours more than 10million people is considered a mega city. A responsible government is not supposed to de-populate a city but are supposed to develop plans and projects that will accommodate the mega population. It is because of the mega city that Lagos state government collected mega grant from the international Organisations like world banks to control floods because it has to be controlled.

The challenge we have in Lagos is that the drainages are too shallow for the amount of flood they are supposed to contain due to lack of planning on the part of the State government. Instead, they tend to de-populate by destroying poor people’s homes; like it happened in Makoko and Badia which is an admission that they lack the technical ability of managing the mega city.

What about the resettlement area built for the displaced people ?

It was when we made mega noise about the wickedness of the government, that they started making efforts to do something about it . One thing you should know is that the government causes more calamity for the poor in Lagos State so that they would be able to take up their lands and build it to suit the rich . It was what they did in Maroko, Tejuosho and Oyingbo markets. They painted a picture of

modern markets; they took charge of the place, built it and leased it at exorbitant prices that the real owners cannot afford .

The government taking over Makoko was because it was on the waterside and the rich had their eyes on it . There is a likelyhood of them allocating it to the rich. If the government would do anything for the poor, it will be contrary  area of interest.

When they relocated those that originally owned the Tejuosho market, they moved them to Badagry and that is like saying those who have known Tejuosho as the trading point to start afresh in Badagry . Also there were some shop owners who owned 10 shops in Tejuosho before it was destroyed; they were given only one shop in Badagry.

How would they cope with such challenges? So the same thing they do with their land grabbing tendencies . They are not actually relocating those in these slums , they want to frustrate them out of Lagos so, that Lagos will be occupied mostly by the rich. That is unfortunate because it is against the principles of social economic right of the people.

If you look at the management of the mega city,you will observe that the health institutions are suffering. For the whole of Lagos state, they have only one scanning machine, they have only two dialysis centres and they have less than 1,800 doctors to cater for mega population that is over 17million people.

Meanwhile, LUTH alone has 800 doctors and the whole Lagos has 1,000 doctors with fewer consultants. Doctors are not well paid , there are no improvement and motivation to work. A doctor attends to about 800 patients per day. Meanwhile they are not supposed to attend to up to 50 per day. Look at the educational system, it was reported recently that  most public schools do not have chairs

and students sit on the bare floor in classrooms which are mostly attended by indigent children. The government is not interested in the children of the poor but are out there to encourage private institutions that are owned by their close associates which is the reason you see many of these public schools with dilapidated structures.

How best can this predicament be curtailed?

The people would have to rise up to the occasion and demand for good governance. They should insist on schools that are well furnished and roads that are well tarred. Most of the roads are either bumpy or riddled with potholes and the few ones they do are done at inflated costs. Let the people demand for transparency, accountability and probity .

People should start asking questions to ensure that public funds are not mismanaged. What Lagos ought to do is to replace the plank bridge that was done in Ikotun – Igando axis with concrete which in return would make transportation easier. Ayobo road has been on perpetual construction, the same thing with Meran road. Ajangbadi road deserves urgent attention. Urban renewal is the only way out of the predicament .

If the people living in these slums should decide that they are no longer satisfied with their condition; they should demand that the government should engage in urban renewal. The slums should be redesigned and reallocated to the original owners. Also, prov
ision of pipe borne water and electricity by the government to the dwellers is important.

If Lagos state government can generate water and electricity for flowers in the state for the sake of keeping Lagos green, they should be able to make electricity available in the neighborhood for potable water. They should provide good education and the roads should be passable. If the dwellers demand accountability from the government things will begin to change for the better.