Ambode pulls down SURE-P taskforce’s headquarters

Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos

June 27, 2015 – Lagos State Government today demolished headquarters of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment programme, (SURE-P) taskforce at the old Lagos tollgate axis, along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had ordered the office of the Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit to demolish the structure on Monday, June 22nd, 2015 but the exercise was delayed till Saturday.

Earlier in the year, former governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola wrote to the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, over the presence of the outfit and expressed his averment to continued presence of the group in the area.

We gathered that the governor however moved to efface the structure since miscreants have since taken over following the natural disappearance of members of the task force after the 2015 general elections.

Our reporters observed that the structures which serve as the headquarters of the agency, that recruited over 5000 youths, were already been pulled down by the taskforce officials.

And the debris and heap of documents used by the agency were sighted been carted away from the scene by trucks.

Chairman of Lagos State Taskforce on Environmental and Special Offences (Enforcement) Unit, Superintendent, Hakeem Adedeji said reason for the demolition of this place is to the best knowledge of the Governor because he was the one who directed that the buildings should be pulled down for the interest of the public.”

Adedeji however said he believed that the governor must have issued the directive based on the abandonment and conversion of the building into hideout by miscreants.

“In fact when we arrived, we couldn’t find any Federal Government officials inside the building, rather the street urchins. And there is need to avoid that. And that was why we believe that if the building is demolished, no one will convert it for as hideout.”

“We should have demolished the structure since Monday but we had to follow due process before embarking on the demolition exercise. And all these are geared towards ensuring that the rights of the citizen are not infringed upon.”