Victims of last year flood at Ikorodu, who have been living for the past ten months at a relief camp operated by the state government staged a protest on Monday.

Their complaints bordered on human rights abuse, inhumane treatment, and accusation of corruption against the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Femi Oke-Osanyintolu.

Though, they commended Governor Fashola's effort, all accusing fingers pointed to Mr. Osanyintolu.

With placards, teary eyes, bodily injuries, and suckling babies, about 150 of them, who could afford to contribute N100 each, marched to the Lagos State House of Assembly to protest they became destitute overnight; while the rest stayed back loitering around the camp's surroundings.

Origin of the problem

On July 31, the state government closed the camp that has housed them since flood forced their exit from their homes. Being a flood plain, the state government asked the displaced people to move to the relief camp from where the government will provide alternative residence.

"Once I get back to office, we are going to be looking for land to relocate all of this entire community to a new site where you will get land cheaply, if not free," Mr. Fashola said during his visit to assess the flood's impact. "Whatever we can do as a government to help you settle into the new site, we shall do."

President Goodluck Jonathan also promised a "permanent solution" to the problem. He announced an assistance fund of N2.1bn for three states ravaged by flood and Lagos was to get N700m.

When asked recently about what has happened to the fund, the new environment commissioner, Tunji Bello, said "the money has not been touched by the state government and is kept for the specific purpose [of relocating people]."

Also, in a recent interview with NEXT, Mr. Osanyintolu said, "The state government has already set up a committee to work out the modalities of finding the adequate location where structures and every other facility will be put in place for the resettlement of the internally displaced people."
‘Magic of the decade'

The victims have waited for the day the state government will make good its promise but were shocked to be asked to leave the camp and to nowhere in particular.

The protesters' narration portrayed a fraudulent act. "We were ordered out of the camp with our belongings and then asked to line up and come inside. The commissioner and Osanyintolu addressed us, promising to make us happy. Then we were asked to go out again on a queue, all under video coverage," said Henry Ozolozo, who suspected that the video coverage is to be documented as evidence that they were given money.

Thereafter, Mr. Osanyintolu was said to have produced a list he claimed was given him by the Community Development Association.

"I was surprised. Some of the faces I saw never existed in that camp. I started hearing names and seeing faces I've never seen in the camp before. We were in that camp for 10 months and there is no face I could not recognise," said Segun Olulade, the protesters representative.

Though about 200, out of more than 1000 campers were on the list and Mr. Olulade and his deputy's names were missing.

"It was when I walked up to him he realised that there was a mistake about the list and he asked the cashier to give me my envelope. I was asked to sign before checking the envelope's content," he said.

They met variable amount inside the envelopes. Some met N1,500 and reportedly fainted, having hanged their hope on the expected money. Others got N7,000, N14,000. The highest was N25,000. "Osanyintolu has produced the magic of the decade," Olulade said.

The cracking down

Having nowhere to go, they chose to stay outside the camp, only to see "two black Maria vehicles and about five trucks conveying mobile policemen" arrived in the night. Then, another ordeal began.

"They said we are greedy," said Blessing Utobo, a nursing mother, whose husband died after picking up an infection during the flood invasion.

They were accused of demanding N500,000 from the government after being paid N250,000, as reported in the media.

The beating began and while trying to escape, many of them lost the paltry cash given them and many others sustained injury. Those who managed to escape slept in the bush; some in the nearby mortuary, with their babies. At the end, about 70 were arrested.

"I had to go beg yesterday before I could feed my baby. I slept inside mortuary and I did not even get a kobo. It's unfair, we were the ones cleaning the camp but strangers got the money," she said.

"Fashola should look for matured people to run LASEMA. The people there now are not psychologically equipped to run the camp," Mr. Ozolozo said.

Why we can't go back

The protesters, who were advised against moving to the camp by some of the community leaders and landlords, claimed they have been "ostracised" from the community.

They were not accepted back due to the rumour that they have been given money and that they will be relocated.

"I am a landlord, not a tenant. I am a widow with children. I believed Fashola and left, now my people are laughing at me. Where do they want us to go?" asked Funmilayo Osifowora.

Legislative indolence

Though, the protesters believe the legislature will solve their problem, the two lawmakers representing Ikorodu, Sanai Agunbiade and Adebimpe Akinsola, who were present at plenary session while the protesters stayed under the blistering sun failed to bring their people's plight to the attention of the House as a matter needing urgent attention. Calls and text messages sent to Mr. Agunbiade's phone were not replied.

While addressing the protesters, Rotimi Abiru (Somolu) asked the protesters to send a petition to the House, promising that they will "get justice."

Source: http://234next.com/csp/cms/sites/Next/News/Metro/5736590-147/relief_turns_grief_in_lagos_.csp