Alaba market demolition: Activist tackles Ezekwesili over outbursts
Arenowned socio-political activist and critic, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri has berated Mrs Obi Ezekwesili over what he called “her unwarranted outburst” against Governor Babajide SanwoOlu’s alleged demolition of dilapidated structures at Alaba Market, Ojo, Lagos.
In a statement in Lagos yesterday, Onitiri said the former education minister was unfair to the governor by her outburst because of the danger posed by the demolished structures to the market users.
Onitiri pointed out that the Lagos State governor needed no further evidence before the recent demolition of the structures at the Alaba market.
He posited that after evidence of the buildings with open cracks and sinking foundations, shown on the televisions and newspaper pages for every discerning mind to see, the governor had no faults to have demolished the structures in question, he explained.
“The outburst of Mrs Ezekwesili was very unfair and unrealistic and smacks of tribal sentiments.
“This is the time for good governance and time for all patriotic Nigerians to unite the country. We should eschew bitterness and pertinence. We should all do away with tribal sentiments,” emphasised.
Onitiri explained that as an expert in the building industry, such buildings with open signs of unfitness and uninhabitable conditions should be pulled down before it collapsed on innocent Lagosians coming to transact business and unaware of the looming disaster.
“Moreover, markets are commercial buildings with heavy human traffic, which should be strong and well fit for habitation and business transactions. We don’t pray for any more building collapse in the Lagos metropolis.
“As a prominent Lagosian, we support our indefatigable governor to pull down cracked and sinking buildings in our markets to avoid human calamity.”
The social critic pointed out that the sacred duty of any serious government was to protect the lives and properties of its citizens, adding, “We don’t pray for any human calamity again.”
Onitiri also explained that there were laws for building construction that stipulated statutory approvals for every building construction.
“Anybody who violates this will have himself to blame. Besides, it is the duty of the government to periodically certify every building fit for habitation and for commercial businesses.
“We strongly advise our former minister, Mrs Ezekwesili not to play politics with human lives,” Onitiri added.
