Lagos: Federal Government Properties, Monuments Wasting Away-Investigations

By Uche Mbah

Federal government buildings and historical monuments in Lagos have been left to rot with age and disuse, and mostly have become abodes for the homeless and miscreants, apart from reptiles and rodents. Where they are partly put to use, Chinese companies hire maybe just a floor-or parts thereof-at giveaway rents.

Buildings like NECOM building, the National Theater and others have become symbols of the waste culture by successive governments.

Once, the monument-NECOM- was gutted by fire, but after that, nobody appeared to be interested anymore. Indications are that mostly the Federal government structures in Abuja are at the forefront of attentions as far as successive governments are concerned.

Government has refused to sell or concession such monuments, resulting in loss of billions of Naira annually by the country.

Such buildings include the Federal Secretariat Complex, Ikoyi, The Nigerian External Telecommunications (NET) building , Marina, (now NECOM Building), the Defense House (formerly Independence Building), former NAVY Headquarters building in Marina, the National Arts Theater, Iganmu, former National Assembly complex, Tafawa Balewa Square, and the Supreme Court building, among others. The National Stadium is only intermittently used.

The National Secretariat has been overgrown with weeds and has become home to rodents and reptiles. Even 1004 complex, said to have been acquired by a former president and his cronies, is only partially occupied.

This tells the story of the maintenance culture of the Federal government.

The Nigerian External Telecommunications building, NET, also called NITEL and NECOM building, was once the tallest building in Africa. The 32 story building is currently left to weeds, rodents and reptiles. The same applies to Defense building, which was abandoned when the defense headquarters moved to Abuja.

The national Stadium and National theater are also part pf the abandoned buildings in Lagos.

It is doubtful whether the Federal government has any plans for these structures in the near future.