Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu appeals to President Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing demolition of plazas at Lagos Trade Fair Complex, stressing that the exercise has caused deep pain among affected Igbo traders and calling for an opportunity to regularize their documents.
Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in the ongoing demolition of properties belonging to Igbo traders at the Trade Fair Complex in Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos State.
Kalu made the plea during the commissioning of several projects in Aba, Abia State, where he expressed deep concern over the plight of the affected business owners. According to him, the demolition of the buildings, which house numerous Igbo traders, has inflicted significant economic and emotional hardship, especially at a time when Nigerians are grappling with difficult economic conditions.
He called on President Tinubu to use his influence to urge the Lagos State government to suspend further demolition and instead provide a window for affected property owners to regularize their documentation.
“Mr. President, I also want to say that the destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos make our hearts bleed,” Kalu said. “For some of them who have not gotten the right documents, my plea to you is to appeal to the governor of Lagos State to keep accommodating our brothers and allow them to rectify their documents instead of destruction. Let them come into the room, find a way, and regularise some of these documents. It bleeds our hearts that houses are being destroyed in these hard times.”
The Deputy Speaker expressed optimism that President Tinubu, whom he described as a leader that has shown inclusiveness and concern for the Igbo people, would listen to their cries and intervene appropriately. He cited Tinubu’s appointment of an Igbo as one of the first commissioners of finance in his administration as evidence of the president’s goodwill toward the South-East.
The controversy surrounding the demolition began when several plazas at the Trade Fair Complex were pulled down by officials from the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning, the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), the Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency, and the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority.
The action drew widespread condemnation from traders and public figures, including the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who visited the Auto Spare Parts and Machinery Dealers Association (ASPAMDA) section of the market alongside federal lawmakers such as Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Austin Akobundu, and Senator Victor Umeh. Obi alleged that the demolished structures had valid government approvals and decried what he termed an attack on Igbos.
However, the Lagos State Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olumide Oluyinka, dismissed the allegations, insisting that the demolition was not ethnically motivated. He explained that the affected buildings lacked valid approvals and posed safety risks, which necessitated their removal.
While acknowledging the importance of enforcing physical planning laws, Kalu emphasized the need for compassion and dialogue, arguing that the demolitions could be suspended to allow property owners to correct irregularities. He stressed that the current economic hardship makes it difficult for many to recover from such losses.
Beyond the demolition issue, Kalu also commended President Tinubu for his economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies, which he said has increased revenue allocation to states. “I want us to be very vocal in praising the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on how he has made resources available to the states when he removed the oil subsidy,” Kalu said. “He did not keep that money in Abuja; he sent it to the states. It is my challenge to the commissioner for information and all media houses in Abia State to give credit to whom credit is due.”
In his concluding remarks, the Deputy Speaker renewed his call for the establishment of a seaport in the South-East, noting that such infrastructure would significantly boost commerce and industrial development in the region. He maintained that the federal government must ensure balanced economic growth across all zones to foster unity and national progress.
Kalu’s appeal adds to growing calls from leaders across the South-East for dialogue and fairness in handling issues affecting Igbo traders in Lagos, as the nation continues to grapple with the broader implications of urban renewal and property regulation exercises.
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