ANEW WITH PAIN

The memory of this picture reminds me of the experience of people living in this community, who in their everyday life struggle to bear the brunt that tear their flesh. It was a day that lives to be told the shock of the experience of what the eyes saw when life was hit like storm without a notice.

With the excuse of the government of Lagos State on road constructions in the ghetto community,
many houses of the poor were demolished without compensation. Many were broken down with the claim that the tenants residing in the rented residence owned by the landlord, who also exploit the tenants with high rents, don’t deserved compensation to get another accommodation of their choice.

Many of the poor tenants in this community suffered dearly from this negligence of the government over finding an excuse not to compensate the victimize tenants. The refusal of the government also led to some families suffering psychological trauma, because of the little that is nothing has been taken away without replacement.

In fact, many families unable to get another accommodation after the demolishing still were suffering the damage of the government against them, even today. Because, the country has not being friendly to the poor in the ghetto, eating pain and hardship like day’s loaf, losing the taste it never has.

And the government then in power in the state deafens ears to the plight of the people, refusing to pay any attention over the pain caused through their policy. Instead, they went ahead by conveying an instruction to the construction company to commence the project, without necessarily bending in their policy.

In fact, when the construction was about to kick start, the company, five days before that time, came with their engineers and surveyors to start measurement of the road that would link to major commercial roads and communities in the environs, with no notice.

They told members of the community that they don’t have any business with them. That the only business they have is to construct the roads without any belated assigned as contract to them by the incumbent government in power; presiding the affairs in the state.

As an experience that can’t easily be forgotten, one of the age women came to express the agony this shall cause to families even hers in future. That, inasmuch, the community is not opposed to “development”, the need of considering the poor is necessarily. That the company should be able to convey time, more time for residents in the community to look for a place they can possibly manage.

The woman saying this not that she has money to get a place at the immediate even at long time likewise others affected. But she was saying this on the ground of knowing how intricate it is for people to get a place, when already in the country accommodation is not a government business to provide for the poor.

And for the construction company in charge of this community to construct the road, have been given the permission by the government on this has to go ahead without pause. Heavy duty machines like caterpillars have to come on board to begin falling down houses like weightless trees while families in the community watch with pain of wounded heart.