In a move that can only be described as a masterclass in governmental insensitivity, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo State has decided to commemorate his tenure by rendering 156 families homeless. The civil service quarters in Alagbaka, built with the noble intention of housing diligent civil servants, are now marked for demolition. The reason? Apparently, the land is more valuable as a playground for the affluent than as shelter for those who keep the state’s engines running.
One can’t help but marvel at the audacity. These homes, standing for decades, have suddenly become obstacles to progress. The occupants, who have dutifully paid their rents to the government, are now being shown the door without so much as a backward glance. No alternative accommodation, no compensation, just eviction notice and the looming threat of bulldozers.
The government’s flimsy defense is that the buildings are old-fashioned. But are they falling apart? Are they uninhabitable? No. They’re simply not flashy enough for an administration more concerned with optics than outcomes. If the Governor is serious about Housing Development, he should be building more houses, not demolishing the few still standing. What kind of leadership razes shelter without even first providing an alternative? It is not the buildings that are obsolete, it is actually the vision.
Well, Alagbaka is prime real estate. Why should it be wasted on civil servants when it could be transformed into luxury properties for the crème de la crème of society? It seems only logical that the government prioritizes the desires of the 1% over the needs of its workers.
Governor Aiyedatiwa’s actions sends a clear message. Legacies of leaders like Adekunle Ajasin, who valued public service and workers welfare, is outdated. In Lucky’s Ondo, cosmetics trumps actual development, and the foundations of community are mere inconveniences to be cleared away. So, to the 156 families facing eviction, take solace in knowing that your displacement paves the way for a more prosperous Ondo State. The Ondo where the rich get richer and the rest find shelter wherever they can. After all, isn’t that the kind of “ease” we all subscribed to?
