Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has begged President Bola Tinubu to influence Lagos Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to accommodate and stop the demolition of property belonging to Igbo without right documents.

Speaking during Mr Tinubu’s visit to Abia State on Friday, Mr Kalu pleaded on behalf of his kinsmen whose property were affected by the demolitions in the President’s home state, Lagos.

“I also want to say that the destruction and demolition of the houses and offices of our brothers in Lagos makes our heart bleed. Mr President, for some of us who have not gotten the right document, my plea to you is to appeal to the governor of Lagos State to  keep accommodating our brothers and please allow them rectify their documents instead of destruction,” Mr Kalu said.

The deputy speaker thanked the president for his support for Abia State and the entire South-East region, urging the president to facilitate construction of a sea port in the region to enhance trading and commerce.

He stated, “As Abians, I want to thank you for what you are doing in our state, through our governor. And what you are doing around the South-East. But I must say it is about time, Mr President, that we have another port in the South-East. South-Easterners are traders. We need a port so that our trading will be enhanced.”

Calls to the mobile of the spokesperson for the Lagos State Governor, Gboyega Akosile, rang out when Peoples Gazette reach out to him. A WhatsApp message had also yet to be to replied as of press time. 

Similarly, the state Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, had yet to response to  a WhatsApp message sent to his mobile on Saturday. 

Mr Kalu’s plea for the sparing of property belonging to his kinsmen followed demolitions of property in Lagos State erected without approvals.

In August, the Lagos State Government said if identified 176 illegal estate developments, predominantly located in the Eti-Osa, Ajah, Ibeju-Lekki, and Epe axis.

Consequently, it gave owners a 21-day ultimatum to process their layout approvals, a statement by the Ministry of Urban and Development indicated.

It added, “These estates, deemed illegal due to their failure to obtain layout approvals from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, were listed in a document published by the Ministry.”