How Lagos High Cost Of Living Forced Me To Live Under Bridge- 75-Year-Old Ghanaian
One of the displaced squatters of the 86 apartments under the Dolphin Estate Bridge, Ikoyi, Lagos State, a 75-year-old Ghanaian, Usman Hassan, has revealed why he ended up living under the bridge.
Hassan who was a teacher at Remo Divisional High School, Ogun State before relocating to Lagos said he opted for the underbridge apartment as he could not afford the state cost of living. DailyTrust report
He, however, lamented that he lost some of his belongings to the onslaught as he was not around during the ‘attack’ by the Lagos officials.
He said, “The man who owned the place doesn’t force people, the engineers working in this company (referring to a company around) begged him for their workers to stay nearby and when they need them for work, they’ll enter the place.
“I don’t know exactly how much he collects from them, but personally he didn’t collect anything from me. For people paying, whether it’s N250,000 or not, I don’t know.”
The Ghanian, also known as Baba Baraka said, “People found solace in the under-bridge apartments because “town is hard and they could not afford rent within Lagos.
“You see, conditions are hard for people in the country and not everyone can afford houses in the town. I have been in this country since 1981 in Ogun State. I was a teacher at Remo Divisional High School for about 11 years before I came to Lagos.
“No work in town to survive on. This man pitied my condition and gave me space here (under the bridge). So, when this thing happened, I took my belongings and I am going again.”
Asked what is the hope for the future, he responded “Well, everything is in the hand of God. Sleeping under the bridge is dangerous but the condition of the country made people resort to this.
