CLO condemns demolition of Lagos Trade Fair Complex, asks President Tinubu, Sanwo-Olu to wade-in

By Alphonsus Nweze, Onitsha

The Civil Liberties Organization (CLO), Anambra State Branch, has condemned in strong terms the demolition of some buildings at Trade Fair Complex in Lagos by the Lagos State Government over purported violation of physical planning law of the State.
Decrying the demolition, the group said it is unfortunate that a State like Lagos that pride itself as “progressive and enlightened” had the temerity to destroy property of citizens worth billions of naira at this time of economic hardship, unprecedented inflations and excruciating sufferings due to fuel subsidy removal and massive devaluation of naira by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led All Progressives Congress (APC) Government.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Onitsha, Anambra State, the rights group appealed to President Tinubu and Gov Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently wade into the unfortunate situation and restore normalcy to the complex.
In the statement signed by Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme, chairman of CLO in Anambra State and Comrade Chidi Mbah, secretary , CLO, they said the intervention of Tinubu and Sanwo-Olu would assuage the anger of the traders.
They called on President Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu to halt with immediate effect the further demolition of structures at the Trade Fair Complex.
“We are extremely concerned about the timing of the demolition in view of the alarming and biting economic hardship, galloping inflations, hunger and anger in the country” said the rights group.
According to some of the affected traders they allegedly obtained all the necessary approvals from government and were shocked that their only source of livelihood has been destroyed, frustrating their means of sustaining their families especially the education of their children which would be temporarily truncated.
The group quoted the victims as having said: “We now live on mercy of friends and compassionate neighbors”.
Majority of the victims, said CLO, lamented that they borrowed money from banks to invest in the buildings, saying that with the destruction their businesses have not only been destroyed but the source of repayment of the loans truncated.
CLO however commended the former Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi and Members of the National Assembly who have visited the place to sympathize with the affected persons, appealing to members of the National Assembly to expedite actions on their promise to investigate the circumstances surrounding the demolition of some of the buildings in the complex with the aim of proffering just,fair and permanent solution.
CLO also called on President Tinubu to set up facts- finding committee to unravel the circumstances surrounding the demolition of the complex with the aim of forestalling future occurrences of such ugly and despicable incidents
.The fact -finding committee, said the rights body had become inevitable in view of Lagos State Government’s insistence that the structures were illegal and lacked valid permits.
The Committee which should be made up of men and women of impeccable character and integrity, said CLO, should unravel who issued approval permits to the traders.