However, the peace and carefree lifestyle enjoyed by this youngster was abruptly shattered with the recent demolition of homes on the lagoon. Speaking in Yoruba, he said: “I have been sleeping inside our canoes with my two brothers and sisters since Monday when our house was destroyed by the government. Yesterday, it rained heavily in the midnight and it fell on me and my parents. The sun has been hard on us because we don’t have any roof over our heads.” Most of the residents, who are migrants, are mainly Egun from Lagos and Ogun States, Ilaje and Ijaw from Ondo State, as well as the Ijaws from Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers State live and engage mainly in fishing. Some others sell foodstuff, firewood and fish to make pittance for daily survival. Close proximity to high tension cables and the Third Mainland Bridge, continued development of shanties and unwholesome structures on the Lagos waterfront were reasons given for the recent demolition of homes erected on the lagoon.
The unusual quietness and gloomy faces of people sitting and floating in hundreds of canoes on the water spoke volume about their losses. The canoes have turned to homes and they have refused to put up temporarily with those living on land at the edge of the lagoon. This development has disrupted their means of livelihood, as most have not been able to fish and trade since the demolition took place.
“We can’t live on land. Half of us would die within a year,” blurted Benjamin Wuse, an undergraduate of University of Abuja. “My parents and ancestors lived all their lives on water. It’s like taking a fish out of water to live on land. The fish would definitely die. If we live on land, how do we monitor our boats and fishing nets?
We don’t deserve this from the Lagos State government. “ With bloodshot eyes still brimming with tears, Margaret Odeinde, a grandmother narrated that when men of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) stormed their area, most of them were still fast asleep. She said but not for her swift move, her one-month-old grandchild would have drowned when their hut was slashed from the root.
Source: http://www.sunnewsonline.com/news-plus/article/we%E2%80%99ll-die-if-we-live-land
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