Im Pamela Braide from Nigeria. I coordinate the Youth Employment Summitt Network and am also involved with other development initiatives.

Recently theres been "sanitization", read massive demolition, of houses in Abuja the capital city. The casualties have been an entire market, several settlements and business blocks. The Government claims to be correcting over a decade of fraudulently sold plots and is driving a hard lesson to show its not business as usual. I must make it clear that these communities grew over time and the Housing Council officials were up to thier necks in supplying most of theses makeshift deeds of occupancy. A lot of people had no idea they were not following legal procedures.

Whatever the long term gains of following the original masterplan, the human cost right now is enormous. Thousands of persons are homeless and without business premises. The crime rate has shot up already. It does not take a genius to guess more violence is to come. Our police could barely cope before....what happens now?

I get confused as to how so many human lives are not factored into this equation of demolition for greater good.... no alternatives etc.

Do you have any such stories to share?
I really would like stories or views that show some solution.