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| Pastor Olaitan with his collapsible home at the Bar Beach |
Shelter and food which Abraham Maslow’s
theory on hierarchy of needs put as basic necessities of man are no longer
obtainable in our environment as many Nigerians lack these basic needs.
A visit to the bar beach, which was known
for his throng in the 80’s and 90’s but now a shadow of itself due to re-current
overflow of its shores, reveals the presence of many homeless people who live
under tarpaulin and old big umbrellas.
A person may be tempted to think that they
came from elsewhere, but a chat with them revealed that they were displaced
from a nearby community in 2008 when government demolished their houses and
places of worship.
Though the number of people living on the beach
after demolition has reduced due to constant arrest and prosecution at mobile
courts of Lagos State Tax Force on Environmental Sanitation, yet there are over
two hundred.
It is disheartening that some live under
umbrella and tarpaulin with their children who attend schools at Bonny camp and
other barracks. They get water from the school of oceanography which is within
the area.
Living close to the ocean and under harsh
weather will definitely expose them to certain illnesses, but they don’t have
access to any health care facility neither could they afford to go for
treatment in the nearby private hospitals in Victoria Island .
Considering the state of living of the
displaced people on the beach, it will be good for government, individuals and
Non-governmental Organizations to provide assistance for the people. Government
can help to provide accommodation for them while individuals can provide
prepared food and other essential materials on regular basis.
If you are interested in assisting the
displaced people living on the beach, you can contact Slumdweller Liberation
Forum (SLF) c/o Slumdweller De Great Agbodemu on 08077565466, 08026754374,
08096324693 or slumdwelleragbodemu@gmail.com
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