You Are Abusing Your Authority!” — Ezekwesili Blasts Sanwo-Olu’s Administration

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has questioned the legality and morality of the ongoing demolitions in Lagos State’s Makoko community.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

In a detailed memorandum addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ezekwesili described the demolitions as inhumane and a form of state-sanctioned oppression targeting vulnerable residents.

She expressed concern that some of the country’s poorest citizens are being targeted under the guise of safety regulations and urban renewal projects. Ezekwesili raised broader questions about governance and citizenship, asking whether Lagos truly treats all residents as equal or prioritizes economic value over human dignity.

Highlighting the livelihoods of Makoko residents, many of whom depend on fishing, informal trade, and small businesses, she insisted that they are Nigerian citizens—not illegal settlers—whose rights have been repeatedly undermined due to their socioeconomic status.

Ezekwesili argued that years of neglect, coupled with recurring demolitions, have created a pattern in which poverty becomes a justification for denying basic citizenship rights. She noted that community leaders were initially told only structures within a 30- to 50-metre safety buffer around high-tension power lines would be affected—a condition under which residents reportedly cooperated.

“A government that alters agreed conditions mid-operation and expands demolition boundaries without notice is not enforcing the law but abusing its authority,” Ezekwesili said.

She further alleged that the operation led to fatalities and characterized the exercise as a forceful seizure of land serving elite interests rather than genuine safety or urban planning concerns. She described it as “class cleansing,” aimed at displacing poor communities from valuable waterfront areas.

Ezekwesili warned that the demolitions have created a humanitarian crisis, displacing thousands of families, disrupting children’s education, and exposing vulnerable residents to hunger, disease, and insecurity. She emphasized that when government actions result in homelessness, the state assumes an immediate constitutional and moral duty to provide protection and support.