Makoko demolition: Our decision is rooted in the need to prevent impending disaster - Lagos Gov't

Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, has strongly defended the state government's ongoing demolition and relocation plans for residents of the Makoko coastal community, emphasizing that the administration's actions are fundamentally driven by the urgent need to protect human lives and prevent impending infrastructural disasters.

Speaking during an interview on Arise TV on Sunday, Omotoso dismissed the narrative that the government is acting out of malice, clarifying that Makoko is not a no man's land and that the original landowners, the Oloto family, alongside traditional rulers, are fully in support of the government's developmental interventions.

The Commissioner further highlighted the extreme dangers associated with the current living conditions in the area, pointing specifically to residents who have built informal structures directly under high-tension electricity cables and in dangerously close proximity to the Third Mainland Bridge.

He warned that such settlements pose a severe threat not only to the inhabitants themselves but also to the structural integrity of the bridge.

Pushing back against critics who argue that the relocations will disrupt the community's fishing economy, Omotoso asserted that it is illogical to prioritize livelihood over human life.

He noted that if a fatal accident were to occur due to the precarious living conditions, the public would inevitably hold the state government responsible for failing to act.

Dispelling notions of government wickedness, he framed the state's actions strictly within the context of necessary urban renewal, arguing that a rapidly growing megacity like Lagos cannot afford to host what is widely described as the world's largest slum.

To demonstrate the government's capability to execute fair transitions, Omotoso pointed to the successful relocation of the Okobaba sawmillers to Agbowa, where they now conduct their trade without encumbrances.

Beyond the Makoko crisis, the Commissioner provided expansive updates on the state's broader infrastructural and environmental initiatives.

Addressing the acute shortage of potable water across the metropolis, Omotoso revealed that the government is not throwing its hands up in despair but is actively reviving mini waterworks while aggressively pursuing the completion of the major Adiyan waterworks.

He disclosed that the administration recently paid over 600 million naira in compensation to local communities to ensure the uninterrupted progression of the Adiyan project. Once completed in the next two to three years, the facility is projected to supply 70 million gallons of water per day, effectively resolving a significant portion of the city's water challenges.
Omotoso also confirmed the strategic reintroduction of the state's monthly environmental sanitation exercise.

However, he clarified that the modern iteration of the program will not involve the traditional restriction of civilian movement.

Instead, the government is treating the current sanitation deficit as an emergency and will rely heavily on intense public advocacy and persuasion. The initiative aims to combat the growing menace of residents indiscriminately dumping refuse on road medians and failing to patronize designated waste management operators, thereby forcing citizens to take personal responsibility for their immediate environments.

Addressing a recent personal controversy regarding his interactions with a citizen advocate over the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, the commissioner expressed profound disappointment at what he described as an invasion of his privacy.

Omotoso recounted how his attempt to be an accessible and responsive public servant was exploited when the individual covertly recorded their phone conversation and published it on social media to generate content.

He condemned the act as a form of blackmail, warning that such underhanded tactics by individuals seeking online clout actively discourage government officials from maintaining open and direct lines of communication with well-meaning citizens