By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Some victims of April 13, 2014, rainstorm and occupants of defective buildings in Jakande Estate, Oke-Afa, Ejigbo Local Council Development Area, LCDA, are currently at crossroads as the Lagos State Government is yet to disburse relief fund earlier promised the affected people.

It will be recalled that a similar tragedy struck in the early hours of February 13, 2013, when rainstorm destroyed properties worth several millions of naira belonging to occupants of the estate.

At the council area alone, over 288 buildings, including Low Cost Housing Estate Primary School, Oke Afa Junior and Senior Colleges and area office of the council in Jakande Estate had their roofs blown-off by raging rainstorm which lasted for about 15 minutes.

Governor Babatunde Fashola had pledged the state government’s assistance to the rainstorm victims.

Recently, the state government at the presentation of cheques worth N50 million to another set of rainstorm victims in Surulere, disclosed that it has expended over N87 million on victims of the April 13, 2014 disaster, whose roofs were either damaged or completely blown-off by the thunderstorm, as well as owners of defective buildings.

The victims were classified into two groups, the primary victims and secondary victims. The secondary victims were the landlords of the affected buildings, while the primary victims were the tenants.

General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA Dr. Olufemi Oke Osanyintolu, explained that government had expended about N50 million on the renovation of the houses destroyed by the storm through the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, LSDPC, which is handling the renovation project.

He added that tenants of the affected houses were given N50, 000 each to cushion the effect of the storm on them.

The cheque presentation exercise, involving 30 per cent of Oke-Afa beneficiaries was however suspended by LASEMA following absence of most of the victims under the aegis of Residents Association of Jakande Low Cost Estate.

Litigation

Osanyintolu, explained
that government halted the payment of the last batch of the affected residents owing to the latest exposure to court case on the issues, adding that the state government would wait until the residents agree to the MoU earlier signed by the residents.

Beneficiaries in court

“The cheques are ready for presentation as approved by Governor Babatunde Fashola, but we cannot go ahead with presentation because we have just been informed that the beneficiaries are in court over the relocation from their properties.

“Hence, we will go back to the drawing board to meet our lawyers to advice us appropriately on what action to take later; until then, further presentation is hereby suspended.”

LASEMA boss explained that the delay in signing of the MoU was because of inter-ministerial activities involved in the process.

“The process for signing MoU involves Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Housing, Justice, Special Duties, Land Bureau, among others. This is what was responsible for the delay in signing the MoU. But it is ready,” he said.

But president of the association, Alhaji Taiwo Olabanji, who spoke on behalf of the victims, while expressing appreciation to the government, explained that most of them stayed away because they were already in court over the matter.

Olabanji explained that the aggrieved group refused all entreaties to settle out of court because government kept them incommunicado over Memorandum of Understanding, (MoU) supposed to have been signed by both parties, (Government and victims).

“They are afraid that government might not allocate their flats to them upon completion of the buildings; moreso that the MoU has not been signed. We are going to hold another stakeholders’ meeting aimed at arriving at a truce. I hope something positive will come out of it at the end of the day,” The president said.

It was however learnt that the truce parley held last Saturday ended in a deadlock as no concrete decision was reached.