Residents left stranded as the Federal Housing Authority sets to demolish over 677 houses in Festac
The residents of phase 2, Festac town in Amuwo-Odofin have been left stranded after the Federal Housing Authority(FHA) began to demolish houses in the area. Reports state that the FHA will completely demolish a total of 677 houses while a partial demolition of 744 houses will follow suit. Helpless residents were seen standing next to their belongings and thinking of the next line of action to get a roof over their heads.
Why would the FHA do this? It was reported that the developer of this particular estate didn't abide by the housing rules. The houses were built on swampy lands which were marked by the Government as non-residential. However, illegal developers and land grabbers couldn't care less as they went ahead to satisfy their selfish interests. Mr. Akintola Olagbemiro, the FHA's South-West Zonal manager, also confirmed that the area has slowly turned into a slum which could negatively affect the health of the residents. Therefore, the actions of the Federal Housing Authority shouldn't be seen as cruel but as an attempt to look out for people's health and ensure they live in a conducive environment.
Building houses in swampy areas can also result in massive floods which is one of the environmental hazards faced by Lagosians.
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