About seven villages in Ogun State are nursing the fear of being reduced to rubles as the state government has given them seven days quit notice. After the expiration of the notice, the villagers are pleading for mercy. Taiwo Abiodun visited the communities and reports.
Ogun Sate the residents have embarked a diet of fasting and praying to let the cup pass over them. Christians among them have resorted going to churches while Moslems frequent the mosques praying to avert the impending doom. They have been sleeping with one eye open.
The affected communities are Coker, Tigbo – Ilu, Igbusi, Orogan, Fagbayi , Ajibode and Tigbo villages. The Ogun State government alleged that the communities have encroached on Coker Agric Settlement. A letter from the Urban and Regional Planning Board with reference number MUPPETS/ URPB/DEM/ 09/2015 reads, “Reminder: Quit / Demolition Notice”, the letter asked the occupants of the illegal buildings erected on the farm to quit as they had been marked for demolition. Seven days quit notice was given while at the end of seven days the bulldozer would bare its fangs and roar.
Since September last month, over 2,000 of completed and uncompleted buildings had been marked with red ink for demolition, while owners of these buildings are now pleading with the Ogun State government to temper justice with mercy and not pull down their buildings.
According to Adetunji Odunlami, the chairman of Ope Oluwa Estate in one of the villages, ” for the past three weeks the Urban and Regional Planning Board of Ogun State have been pasting notice of demolition on both completed and uncompleted buildings . The residents of these communities are over 20,000 people and if their houses are pulled down they will find nowhere to go.” He added, “We are ready to pay ratification fee if the government asked us to.”
Oladele Aiyelokun said about four people have died as a result of the shock when they heard this news while two people fainted when they saw the government officials pasting the quit and demolition notices. “We have suffered enough in the hands of the government who once pulled them down in 2009 and in the hands of land speculators or land grabbers and we are pleading with Governor Ibikunle Amosun to temper justice with mercy,” he pleaded.
The villages
Going though the land one could see buildings of different shapes and sizes from one room to flats and bungalows. There are also hospitals and clinics, markets and a government owned school; Igbusi Community Primary School owned by the Ifo Local Government. There are also secondary schools, hotels and so many others buildings, it has in a nutshell metamorphosed to into towns. Some of the areas have electric power supply with roads built through communal efforts.
Prophet Adeyinka Oluwaseun said ” some men of God came with me from Lagos to establish a church here and when I heard the news few years ago that the communities had been given clean bill of health I was happy not knowing that I would be hearing another sad news,” he said amidst tears.
Don’t blame us
According to some of the residents and owners of the buildings among who were armed with their Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), survey building plan papers and Community Development Area (CDA) Registration certificates issued to them by the Ogun State Government and Ifo Local government. The occupants of these buildings said the family and village heads convinced them by showing them approval letter that the state government has released these lands for them. “We were shown these letters and the signature of the official of the state governments that the land had been released for the communities. Akpan Joseph said he is an electrical engineer and couldn’t have bought a piece of land without a proof from the land owners who even showed him papers that the land had been released by the government. He said, “I was here the first time this place was demolished but later they showed us the papers the state government had released the land for them so I came back to rebuild my house.”
Armed with different types of receipts some of the owners of these buildings said the self acclaimed land owners said the land belongs to their forefathers and that the state government has released some parts to them, but did not tell us where the land ends or the demarcation.”Many of us were driven from Lagos areas due to Shylock landlords who increased their rent arbitrarily. Most of those living here are poor, while some are civil servants, others come from nearby towns.”
Letter from Bureau of Lands
Almost all the affected people had photocopies of a letter from the Governor’s Office , and brandishing a letter dated 3rd August, 2010 from Bureau of Lands and Survey , Office of the Governor , Oke Ilewo , Abeokuta, Ogun State of Nigeria and signed by Surv. Gbenga Ogunnoiki with the title ‘Approval for release of lands and excised villages from Coker settlement agricultural acquisitions in Ifo Local Government Area, Ogun State’ which reads, “Pursuance to your joint passionate plea for excision of your seven villages / towns namely Coker, Tigbo – Ilu, Igbusi, Orogan, Fagbayi , Ajibode, and Tigbo and release of lands for future expansion of the villages that the Ogun State government has approved the release of lands and excised villages / towns from the acquisition. I am glad to convey to you all, approval of His Excellency the Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel to excise all the above named villages and towns from the Coker Farm Settlement acquisition after the consideration of your appeal.
“It is expedient to inform you that details of the released lands as it affect each of the excised village or town will be communicated to you in due course as soon as government surveyors conclude the survey works of the released lands
Thank you.
Signed by Surv.Gbenga Ogunnoiki
(Director General ( Lands).
With this letter the village heads and land agents swooped into these areas and started selling lands.
To the chagrin of many, members of the community were shocked when a Commission was set up by the Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun and a White Paper Report on the second and Final Report of Ogun State Judicial Commission of enquiry on land (2004-2011) nullified this letter and accused Ogunnoiki of not either doing proper investigation or research but hurriedly approved the excised land.
Part of the contents said ” the last administration , particularly Surveyor Gbenga Ogunnoiki, who was the architect of the release, either acted negligently or was motivated by insincere reasons in decide info and recommending that the seven villages existed WITHIN the Coker Farm Settlement acquisition and thus proceeding on that basis, to excise and release the land to them when in fact, this is not so. A simple reference to original Survey Plan of the Acquisition in the custody of the Bureau of Lands and Survey headed by Surveyor Ogunnoiki himself , coupled with a mere visit to the locus would have enabled the government to find out the truth and avoid this grievous blunder.”
Aside this, the Commission among her recommendations is that the last administration’s decision should be cancelled,” the Commission considers the decision of the last administration to release or excise land from Coker Farm Settlement to the land from Coker Settlement to the named communities, to have been completely ill- informed and misguided. As a result, the Commission recommends that the decision be cancelled or reversed FORTHWITH in the public interest.”
Now armed with letter of demolition, the villagers are crying out and begging the state government not to let the bulldozer roar as most of them have spent their life earned money, some used their pensions, some borrowed money to erect structures to keep their heads.”We relied on what the past government ( Otunba Daniel ) gave us and the land itself has become infertile for crops said Bishop Zachaeus Adebayo.
Payments into Ogun State coffer
The questions on everybody’s lips are ‘ When the place is illegal why is the government still collecting fees from Certificate of Occupancy ( C of O), approval of Plan, CDA’s registration fee, HOS fee and other fees from people living in these communities? Who are the officials signing these papers and receiving and acknowledging their receipts on behalf of the state government? And will the same state government who knew they were on illegal land go ahead and approve the C of Os and building plans signed and stamped when they know it is not genuine? Is there any foul play among the civil servants? Going round the areas one could see the approved plan numbers and C of Os numbers painted on some buildings. Again street names were approved by Councils. Associations, Community Development Areas were duly approved by Ifo local government and paid their fee, not only this the community with electricity and roads were approved and they paid into the government’s coffer.
Olountoba Biodun said he is still processing his own C of O but he brought out some that had gotten their papers, according to him they did not meet any cash or food crops on the land ” aside that we were shown the paper of which the government of Otunba Daniel signed by the Director General of Lands which Gbenga Ogunnoiki gave them of the excision of the land. We were also given the confidence when we registered our streets, CDA, and other associations by Ifo Local government and Ministry of Community Development and Cooperatives (Community Development Department), from Ministry of Land and Urban and Regional Planning, Ogun State Internal Revenue Service for HOC assessment.
Some of these people brought out their approved plan and Certificate of Occupancy to convince the government that the state government could have known better as they were the ones who approved the plans and gave them the C of O.”
Who sold the lands?
While many are crying that the government should not throw them into the dark by pulling down their structures, Ajoke Odemakinde pleaded and said, “I bought my land from one surveyor called Yisa before Olojoru came in. This is my nineth year here in this community and I never thought of this ugly thing.” Also Madam Omowunmi Bello claimed she has built two bedroom flat on her land when she bought the land from Oluwo. While Madam Titlayo Oyebade (64) said she bought the land from the Olojorus. Ruth Adebisi and Olamide Awolaja broke down in tears and asked where they would locate to since they are petty traders selling vegetable and taking care of the family.
History of the land
According to history, these areas were established in the 1950s by the government of Old Western Region under the leadership of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, to develop the agricultural potentials of the region and create employment for several thousand of people. Thus the land was acquired from the original owners by the government and compensation was fully paid in every case, thus vesting full ownership right in the land in government. Ogun State inherited the farm settlements which fell within its geographical location upon its creation in 1976.
The Commission found out as a fact that by letter dated 3rd August 2010, the then DG Bureau of Lands, Surveyor Gbenga Ogunnoiki, conveyed the approval and excise of the seven villages: Coker, Tigbo – Ilu, Igbusi, Orogan, Fagbayi, Ajibode and Tigbo from the Coker settlement to the said communities, the letter stated further details of the release of the land.
Government’s reaction
When The Nation visited Land Bureau office at Mosan, Abeokuta, one of the most senior officers who pleaded for anonymity said he could not talk to the press as a civil servant. He, however, blamed those who erected buildings on Coker Agriculture land for doing so. According to him, “that land was bought by the then Western Nigeria in the 50s by the late Obafemi Awolowo for agriculture. The then Western Region paid compensation to the owners of the farmlands then. But few years ago we heard that some land grabbers were selling these lands and people were building on it. We sent a letter warning them until we went to destroy the place and reclaimed the land back by force.” Asked whether there was demarcation, the man said “There is none but if you go to the farm you will still see remnants of some palm trees there as these land grabbers had pulled some of the trees down. You need to read the White Paper of the Commission of enquiry that was released. While it is true that some areas were excised for the towns but the process was not completed. You need a Gazette, demarcation from the government which the communities did not do. I blame the villagers for not exercising patience to let the government demarcate but the land grabbers continue to be selling the land. It is like sending you on an errand to Abuja without giving you a definite address. The fact is that some of these land grabbers and the buyers should be blamed. And there is nobody who will issue the C of O, or approve building plan for such locations, if they have let them show it.” He added that it depends on the government who can ask them to pay for ratification.
One of the of the village heads, Bishop Zachaeus Adebayo did not deny selling the lands, he said the government gave them the letter of approval which they relied upon as extension of the areas. ” I have the letter the government of Ogun gave me that they have approved the excised of villages which was signed by one Ogunnoiki the Director General of Survey, this gave us hope and audacity to sell the lands. We did not do it unlawfully. The Bishop pleaded with Senator Amosun to allow these people to stay, he said ” we were in full support of Amosun during the first and second term of his election, and we have over 80 per cent vote for him. Although it was the former administration under Otunba Daniel that released the said land but it would be magnanimous if the Governor can use his good office not to pull the villages down. What we want the governor to do is to demarcate this portion or kindly release them for human habitation. We still have land, thick forest for agriculture. If the Western government bought this area in the 50s and now it has become towns and cities we should leave them alone. Over 98 percent of people who built houses here are low income earners and market women, mere hearing that government is pasting papers has caused many to have high blood pressure.
The Baale of Igbusi Tuntun, Temitope Ismail Shitta said, ” it is true that the Ogun State government released land for the seven villages for the Aworis and Egbas and both benefited but there was a clause, and the clause is that the government said they would come and demarcate the land and that a surveyor would do it, but our agents who should do it did not. The governor discovered that the indigenes did not enjoy most of it, and I think it is the right time for the governor to rescue us from these agents who are fooling us. These places have developed where we have over 4, 000 buildings and with over 20,000 people living there now.”
The Arogundade of Igbusiland, Chief Olusina Sofela, said all the land there are no more good for agriculture, “The government should please show human feelings and consider the poor who came to erect structures there to hide their heads as they cannot afford to pay house rent, times are hard and the state owns the people and vice versa while our communities have done so much to develop this state.”
Visit to Governor’s office
Some of those who went to the Governor’s office during the week said they were asked to make photocopies of the receipts used to purchase the land and other items, adding, ” they only collected our phone numbers and said they would call us on phone, ” some of them told The Nation.
But Mrs.Silifatu Ogunsuada (62) said “what remains for me now is to commit suicide. Few years ago, I came back from Mecca and found my house pulled down here and when we were told to go back home then as the governor has granted our appeals I had to borrow money to build another. Now it is another song, which means immediately I sighted a bulldozer suicide will be the next thing, for at what age would I build another house?” she asked in frustration.
Mr. Lanre Akanni who is the Vice Chairman, Glory Estate asked, “What will become of the Igbusi Community Primary School established by the government here? Our children go to this school and it has been marked. We don’t really understand at all.”
Secretary to the community, Mrs. Olushola Osanyintola said she is a school teacher and has lost her husband few years back, “where would I start? I built this house with the cooperative money I took five years ago and I have not recovered. Feeding is difficult and I can no longer live in Mushin or Osodi where house rent has gone up. We are just pleading with the governor to save our soul.”
Will the Ogun State government hearken to their plea? Time will tell.
