Nigeria’s ABUJA: Peter Obi, the presidential candidate for the Labour Party in the general elections, has urged governments to demolish “illegal” constructions throughout Nigeria to show compassion and humanity.
On Tuesday, June 27, 2023, Obi expressed concern about the demolitions’ victims, mostly regular people who have been left homeless or in need.
Although certain demolitions may have valid justifications, Obi said it’s important to consider the effect on the impacted people, many of whom may have unintentionally committed mistakes or were ill-informed.
“Necessary remedial actions to planning or zoning breaches by governments should not be harsh or excessively callous,” he said. Every corrective action should always provide opportunity for compassion and gentle correction.
Mr. Obi drew attention to the irony of Nigeria’s housing situation: while having a shortage of 70 million houses, the nation is seeing homes, businesses, and offices demolished.
According to him, several of these illegal buildings either lacked official authority or had covert cooperation with local authorities.
He emphasised the economic difficulties residents face owing to stagnating wages, inflation, unemployment, and a high cost of living and asked government officials to strike a balance between upholding adherence to current laws and taking the populace’s needs into account.
Former Anambra State Governor Obi recommended that the involved governments think about compensating persons who have lost homes and means of support as a result of the demolitions.
He stressed that the eminent domain concept, used when lands or assets are purchased or destroyed for the public good, may apply to such compensations.
He concluded by reminding the governors and impacted governments that their first obligation should be to safeguard and care for their population and advising them to think about the human repercussions of their decisions.
