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There is no doubt that the various developmental efforts and infrastructural refurbishment projects going on in many states of the federation are taking its toll on businesses, especially the small operators. It is obvious that all is no longer well with the relationship between artisans operating in Lagos and the state government. 
In their thousands, welders, panel beaters, battery chargers, hair dressers and other road-side businesses, have recently been speaking up in condemnation of what they have termed the ‘untoward’ activities of the Tunde Fashola-led administration. 
These are mostly operators dislodged from the roadside in order to pave way for the state’s ongoing beautification and greening project. 
Ironically, the same greening project for which Fashola is being vilified by artisans is what is earning him plaudits as an outstanding governor. The desire to be the third most functional mega city in the world by 2015 had catalysed a number of projects that had seen massive environmental transformation and infrastructural upgrade in Lagos, and this, in effect, had affected countless businesses and households.
But whatever irritation the beautification exercise had brought to businesses in Lagos, perhaps pales into insignificance when compared to the on going massive demolitions meant to pave the way for most ambitious road project yet in the country.
The expansion of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway from its present four-lane structure to 10-lanes with a rail line stands tall as the ‘mother’ of all demolitions in the state so far.
As the government bulldozer roars on daily, so are people’s businesses being crushed and sent to dumpsites. In the same fashion also are many families subjected to poverty and hunger as their breadwinners lose their means of livelihood.
Sundry traders and shop owners at the Orile end of the Expressway are seen everyday standing in groups counting their losses with the on-going demolition. Early last month, a stakeholders’ meeting was held in Alausa, between officials of the state government and property owners along this axis, where agreement was reached that government would pay compensation for all demolished structures within the right of way, which have valid titles, while those without titles would be treated as illegal structures.
Based on his agreement, the state government a couple of weeks ago began what had been described as ‘an intensive and extensive demolition’ of structures to create right of way for the proposed expansion.
The snag here is that whereas property owners might have collected or are hoping to collect compensations for their demolished properties, owners of businesses and shop owners in the affected markets have only their fingers to lick.
On a typical demolition site, government bulldozers could be seen making mincemeat of different structures, where a chaotic and rowdy situation prevailed, as traders run helter-skelter trying to evacuate wares to escape the rampaging bulldozers.
Also, there was heavy presence of security operatives, who it was learnt, were members of the demolition task force put in place by government to contain any resistance from any quarter.
The worst hit structures on this axis were the Doyin Group properties that housed Volvo Motors, and the Eleganza Plaza, a popular plastic products mart. Here, plastic products of varied shapes and sizes littered the place as traders frantically try to recover what they could from the rubble.
It is however a brisk business for artisans, especially carpenters, who have been gainfully employed by property and shop owners for removing roofs of their houses and dismantling shop spaces.
A trader, who simply identified himself as George, lamented, saying “he did not exactly understand why government had chosen to subject people to this kind of hardship.”
George, it was learnt, had two shops at the Eleganza Plaza and another two at the Coker building materials market. All these shops have fallen to the angry and ferocious teeth of the government bulldozers.
“Where do I go from here?” he asked rhetorically. George is not alone in this. There are a thousand and one other Georges out there to whom both the present and future present bleak pictures. 
Many banks, filling stations, luxurious and mini-bus companies, market traders, schools and their teachers, etc, have been sent packing, and given the economic meltdown regime, how and when to find alternatives can only be a matter of conjecture.
Asked if they were not notified of this demolition, George retorted: “They had really talked about it once, but nobody knew they would come so soon and don’t forget that this thing started on Sunday. Almost all of us were taken unawares.”
A member of the government task force, who refused to be named, however, countered saying that “sufficient awareness was created among the traders, and these were well-publicised in the media; these people lie just to discredit the government; but we are not daunted because what is happening now is for the common good of everyone.”