Now, I am not talking about home offices, those are in another category all by themselves; they are offices run in homes because the owners of the business live there and do think the business doesn't need a building to itself, or at least not yet.
Here I'm complaining about full blown businesses converting residential buildings to office spaces. I asked an elderly friend why and he said because they (the businesses) are ready to pay more for the building. He gave instance where a landlord had to pay different charges to the State and Local Government and all their agents and agencies (both legal and illegal.) As charges increase, so does rent, as the houses are mostly the "retirement plan" of landlords in Naija. With increase in rent comes the resistance of tenants to pay; why should I pay more for staying in the same house that I had to do the fixture and fittings myself or pay for it, buy my own water or make it, pay for light that I never get to use? A house that I have to drive to on a bad road that will remain bad unless I join forces with my neighbours to fix it! So, tenant moves out and go for houses that have the same symptoms but are less expensive. And should I add the fact that it is a journey from his workplace? Which way, Naija? I has a similar experience. There's a house next to my Church; a 3 storey building, the landlord had increased the rent to NGN450,000/year for each flat, so one of the 6 tenants moved out. So, I ventured at getting the place, "450,000 was not too bad for a 3bedroom flat in Alausa," I reasoned to myself even though I knew better. While, I was nursing ideas on how to legally raise about 1.2million Naira, I decided to speak with the Agency in charge of the property and then I got the shock of my life. It was the secretary that picked my call; said the rent was NGN750000/year and by the time she was done with the analysis, I was told I was to pay 2million Naira. For what! A rent in Alausa! When they no drug me na! My attempt at negociation brought it to about 1.75million Naira and that was the least they would go. Hmm... So I "fashi"ed the place. About 6 weeks down the line, I saw fittings being done on the same flat and in another 2 weeks, the new tenant had moved in; it was an office! You won't believe how much repair they had to do after paying that much money!
The residential area of Ilupeju used to be one of the coolest place ever for me as a child, but unfortunately the story is different. The area can no longer be classified under the category of residential... I had my early education in a school in that area called "Iyaniwura," the children of the proprietress have since changed the name after her demise; I just don't get why, so I never remember what the new name is. Anyway, I remember how safe and sane the streets were on the residential side, at any time of the day. You see, even though my father's house was in Iyana-Ipaja, we (my step mom, my sister and I) spent more time in Ilupeju than at home on weekdays, as my step mom was a teacher in my school and spent the afternoon at different homes where she had private home classes for children. So, Ilupeju was home back then. Last week, as I walked Ilupeju, nostalgia rushed at me like wind as I walked streets I had walked as a child on days Dad was too busy to come pick us from school after mom was done teaching private classes. We would walk some distance before we could get to the taxi park for a taxi drive to our house or to Oshodi where we would get "Molue" home on days when Mom was too broke to afford a taxi home. Back then only Molue run the long stretch of Oshodi - Iyana-Ipaja and beyond; Molue and the State-Assisted mass transit buses. By the way, what happened to those buses? And the scheme? (sigh...)
Gbagada Phase I was no different story. In fact, there was a particular street that almost didn't have a home on it. Such sight tore at my heart, especially as I remember how people are flocking into the Suburbs or should I say "sub-Suburbs?" Some people working on Victoria Island, in Lekki and even in Ajah live in places as far as Ofada, Mowe, Ibafo, Badagry, Ikorodu, Igando, Otta. And most of these areas are not even in Lagos, they're in Ogun State. Is it that Lagos can't care for its own? I know of people working in the State Secretariat that live in either the Ogun State part of Akute or Ibafo or the interior of Ikorodu even Mowe! State Workers! Who remembers the 2006 census? Tinubu, the then governor of Lagos State told the State worker not to go to their villages for census and that anyone who did would be penalised. I don't rightly remember what the penalty was, but I do remember a family friend that had to stay back in Lagos though she lived in Ibafo with her family, so as not to be penalised. Can Lagos care for its own? I ask again.
Some of these things are beyond me. But then, I yet have other questions. Am I the only one seeing something wrong in this or are there other people? Am I the only one talking about it or is there a crowd somewhere lamenting and wailing about it? What am I going to do about it? Talk only and keep quiet when I'm tired or a proud owner of a property in a choice area of Lagos? Or am I going to do something about it that generations yet unknown will be thankful for? By the way, where is the government in all this? Ministry of Works and Housing, where are your people? Are they telling me they haven't seen this? Or they only look the other way because it serves their pockets right now? Oh, they don't want to put their jobs in jeopardy! Let's assume they've seen it, shall we? So, when are their reports going to get the necessary response? Probably when we're done sand-filling the whole Atlantic Ocean and planting flowers that we'll never come back to dress or even water. What might that necessary response be, anyway? Really, can Lagos care for its own? Or is mega-city an illusive dream of disillusioned leaders; a nightmare of its residents?
Picture: www.lagosindicatoronline.com
Picture: www.lagosindicatoronline.com
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