FHA reiterates comment on Festac Town restoration
By Owoleye Oluwakayode
The Federal Housing Authority (FHA) has said it is moving ahead with the restoration of Festac Town despite protests over the demolition of illegal structures within the buffer zone along the second avenue and the expressway.
The Zonal Managing Director, FHA South-West Zone, Hakeem Olagbemiro, said this while addressing stakeholders within the community and members of the press on Wednesday. The meeting was held amid protests outside FHA’s premises by displaced residents.
Olagbemiro, who spoke on behalf of the Managing Director of FHA, Gbenga Ashafa, said that the clearing was in accordance with the original master plan designed for the town.
He said, “Let me reiterate that the management of the FHA under the leadership of Senator Gbenga Ashafa has the moral, professional and political will to restore Festac town as he has promised.
“For the record, the authorities did not target churches or mosques. Several quit notices were served to defaulting illegal developers.
“For those who think it will be business as usual, we want to inform you that we will sustain this operation until FESTAC is restored of its lost glory. No amount of blackmail or ambush will deter us from achieving this goal.”
The President of the FESTAC Residents Town Association, Shola Fakorede, said that he sympathised with original allottees of the federal lands occupied by the now-displaced illegal developers.
He said they had been fighting to get their lands back for 30 years, with the case having been awarded in favour of the allottees in a consent judgment in 2005.
Fakorede called on the FHA to assist in identifying and redistributing lands to families of deceased owners who were party to the court ruling.
He called on the FHA to explore options such as resettling the displaced residents in the nearby mechanic village to prevent a crisis.
The Head of Town Planners, South-West Zone, Francisca James, said the clearing of the structures was the second phase of development after the dredging of canals.
She said it was necessary following increased pollution of the town and its environs.
Meanwhile, the protesters outside the premises called for government intervention following the demolition.
The Secretary of the Plank Sellers Association, Azeez Afolabi, speaking on their behalf, said, “We have been at Agboju Planks and Building Materials Market for over 27 years.
“We filled that place with over 1,400 tippers of sand. Suddenly they gave us papers to leave in seven days. Lagos State Task Force demolished and burned the market.
“We are seeking assistance from the government. Let us retain there. Whatever they want, we are going to pay; we have been paying the local and state governments. We have the receipts. We seek help from the FHA to allow us to retain that place.”
