Thoughts of Makoko can’t but fill me with nostalgia.
We used to live at Tapa/Abeokuta street in Ebute Meta East. Nearby was Oko Baba, a sawmill settlement that adjoined Makoko. I was then living with my aunt who was a Celestial Church of Christ Makoko member.
One thing I noticed even then was the almost annual fire break outs at Oko Baba.
My cousins and I would usually trek to Makoko from Ebute Meta.
We would notice the dwellers of Makoko wondering how they managed to live on stilted ramshackle huts on the lagoon in what later became known as the Venice of Africa. They lived in what has become known as one of the largest slums in the world.
Established in the 19th century, the residents of Makoko have come a long way.
When there were educational challenges, a Floating School was established by Kunle Adeyemi with the assistance of various NGOs and other public-spirited individuals.
But Makoko is being demolished!
The demolition is against the judgment of a Nigerian high court restraining the Lagos state government and its agencies from carrying out any further demolition or eviction in Makoko. The court also awarded 3.5 million naira in damages against the government.
I would have thought that even if there were no legalese, a responsible government, I mean a government with a human face wouldn’t have left people to their own devices.
But now, the poor people are being left to suffer as if ordinary Nigerians suffering were not enough.
Some who dared protest were even beaten black and blue and tear gassed.
