The way the Nigerian government takes decisions is just like how many Nigerian men handle relationships.
If the wife is nagging, they get another wife. Temporary solutions that lead to permanent problems.
The motive is always to benefit themselves. Its all a function of their selfish interests. Creating a facade of beauty whilst leaving a depth of ugliness underneath.
In the Punch of Sunday, August 28 2011, it was reported that over 15,000 people in the Ilaje Ago-Egun fishing community in Lagos were rendered homeless by the demolition of their homes on the Lagoon by the Lagos State Government. The Government's reason for doing this was because they posed an eyesore for people driving on the Third Mainland Bridge.
These people have lived there for about a century.
It did not look good so it had to go. There was no question of improvement.
It was not just that they lost their homes but it was also about losing a whole way of life, their culture and identity.
There are many communities like that in different parts of the world but they have been improved to become tourist attractions. In Benin republic, very close to us, we have Ganvie with a population of 30,000. The community is sited on Lake Nokue north of Coutonou.
Some of their houses are even painted with traditional motives and look really beautiful.
They are also mostly fisherfarmers and have lived there for centuries. They are one of the tourist attractions in Benin and the government has encouraged them to keep their heritage. Ganvie is referred to as the Venice of Africa by the international community.
Am particularly surprised that the Governor of Lagos State who has been known to be a strong advocate of the need to be conscious of the climate change would go this route when researchers in the UK, in 2009, identified building houses on stilts as a way to combat global warming.
The new urban future: stilt houses to manage global warming’s rising sea levels
We need to preserve our heritage and culture by improving them rather than deleting them from existence.
Mine is one voice speaking out against this injustice, can you please join me?
