Expressing concern over the ongoing demolitions of properties in Lagos State and across the nation, Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has decried the additional hardships faced by citizens already grappling with multi-dimensional poverty.
In a statement posted on his official X handle on Thursday, Obi emphasized that, given the current harsh economic conditions, governments should focus on implementing measures to alleviate the people’s hardships and uplift more individuals from poverty instead of resorting to property demolitions.
Obi appealed to the respective governments involved in these demolitions to consider the prevailing hardship in the country and approach their actions with a human touch. He stressed the need for a responsive government to enforce sensible regulations while demonstrating compassion in their actions.
He wrote: “It’s with complete despondency and unhappiness that I have followed the ongoing demolitions of properties across the country, especially knowing the extra hardship such acts have been heaping on hapless citizens who are already battling with multi-dimensional Poverty.
“What a responsive government should be doing under the current harsh economic conditions in the country is to come up with measures aimed at alleviating the people’s hardships and to carry out measures that will take more people out of poverty.
He also asserted that even if there were some violations, the critical economic situation is not suitable for such exercises, considering the consequences on the poor struggling to make ends meet with limited resources.
“Even if there are some violations as the governments are claiming, this critical time is not auspicious for such an exercise knowing the hardship in the land and the consequences it will have on the poor who are struggling to make ends meet with their little resources.
“The poor in our midst who are putting their meagre resources are going through very severe financial stress that should not be multiplied further. In some cases, the properties being demolished are the life time savings and retirement abodes of the aged and incapacitated.
“My appeal, therefore, is for the respective governments involved in this act to consider the hardship in the country and try and put a human face to their actions. While we should enforce sensible regulations, all actions of government must show compassion.”
