Coastal Road: Lagos residents kick against Right of Way extension -

Property owners and residents of the Okun Ajah community, on Thursday, protested against what they described as a deviation from the established Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road Right of Way.

The affected property owners and residents are appealing to the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; and the Lagos State Assembly to investigate the recent marking of buildings and other places for demolition by officials of the state government.

The residents, during a peaceful protest at the Lagos State House of Assembly and other places, accused officials of the Lagos State Physical and Urban Planning Agency of extending the Right of Way of the proposed road beyond the established delineation.

The demonstrators stressed that the Coastal Road project, initiated in 2006, had its Right-of-Way distinctly defined and gazetted, adding that the community had respected the coastal road alignment, ensuring no development encroached upon the coastal road boundary.

According to the protesters, it was emphasised that those who flouted the right-of-way and built on it, creating obstructions, should face consequences to act as a deterrent to others.

Many of the affected property owners stated that they proactively secured a Certificate of Occupancy and a survey plan, which were reportedly signed by the then Governor of Lagos State, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the then Surveyor General of Lagos State.

The protesters claimed that the survey delineated the sanctioned and gazetted coastal road alignment along the coastline and that they adhered strictly to the delineations.

One of the protesters, who simply identified himself as Fasisi said ” To our surprise, we discovered that the officials from the Lagos State Physical Planning and Urban Development Agency were marking properties for demolition, even those outside the gazetted coastal road alignment.”

The resident added, “The markings followed the original alignment from Ahmadu Bello Way but began to deviate upon reaching the Okun-Ajah community.”

He stressed that ” The purpose of the protest is to bring to the government’s attention the unexpected and illegitimate deviation from the original gazetted right-of-way for the coastal road.

“The traditional landowners, residents, and property owners are calling for the preservation of the status quo, which will reinforce their trust and confidence in both the Federal and Lagos State governments.”

The protesters stated that the deviation from the original Right of Way of the Coastal road would create chaos, confusion and anarchy in some parts of Lagos communities.

According to them, many investors who had broken the banks to invest in the area will be greatly affected by the new markings by officials of the Lagos State Government

They stated that the government can reduce the humongous compensations to be paid by resorting to the original Right of Way, adding that an impending floodgate of litigations may hamper or slow down the pace of work on the proposed coater road.

They therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Lagos State Government to urgently look into the Right of Way impasse of the Coastal road.