Press Releases

LASG Warns Ogun Over Encroachment

Mar 2, 2008 - The Lagos State Government has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Ogun State Government to confirm its recognition of the ownership of the Isheri-Oke Rehabilitation Centre and the Agbara area within Lagos State territory as properties of Lagos State or risk a legal action against it.

In a letter addressed to the Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, and signed by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olasupo Shasore (SAN), the Lagos State Government said failure to respond to the letter within the stipulated time would be treated as a confirmation of its dispute of Lagos State property and territory, and would compel the Attorney General of Lagos State to institute legal proceedings against the Ogun State Government.

The letter dated 20th February, 2008, quoted a report in one of the national dailies which reported of a planned action by the Ogun State Government to expropriate the Lagos State Remand Home in Isheri-Oke which property was vested in Lagos State Government since 1967 before the creation of Ogun State .

Elucidating on the issue at stake in Alausa on Sunday, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Barrister Opeyemi Bamidele confirmed that some officials of the Ogun State Government were actually taking actions at the two locations that was capable of causing a breakdown of law and order among the boundary communities.

Accompanied by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, the State Commissioner for Youth, Social Development and Sports, Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Agunsoye Rotimi, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Town Planner Francisco Abosede and Permanent Secretary of Lands Bureau, Alhaji Gbenga Ashafa, Opeyemi said the State Government was alarmed by the threat by officials of the Ogun State Government to demolish the Remand Home which was built in 1944 after the Second World War but which has been managed by the Lagos State Government since 1967.

He said the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola and his Ogun State counterpart, Otunba Gbenga Daniel had already met over the issue and assurance had been given by Governor Daniel that there would be no further attempt to acquire the lands and properties in the two areas, but that in spite of this assurance, the encroachments had continued.

The Commissioner, who said the communities have been living in fear and agitation as a result of the action of the Ogun State Government officials, said aside from the legal issues involved, there was also the moral implication of the action in the sense that it would affect the beneficiaries of the Rehabilitation Centre who are disable persons from different parts of the country.

“In the last two weeks, major attempts have been made to takeover both the Rehabilitation Centre and the land on which it is built”, the commissioner said adding, “We will not concede what is ours, especially when it is in the over riding interest of the people of Lagos State ”.

In his remarks on the issue, Prince Ademola Adeniji-Adele described the action of the Ogun State officials as disturbing especially after the Lagos State Government had engaged the Ogun State Government in series of meeting at the top level over the issue.

The Commissioner said he has given instructions that on no account should anyone be allowed to build any structure on the land housing the Centre.

In his contributions, the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr.Alasupo Olashore (SAN), said the Lagos State Government has come up with the warning because of the unfriendly attitude of the Ogun State Government officials who, according to him, have threatened to demolish a social service structure in order to build a shopping plaza as well as the illegal issuance of Certificates of Occupancy to people in Agbara in the Badagry area.

According to him, the land on which the centre is cited was acquired by the Governor of Lagos Colony by Government Notice No. 1135 under The Public Lands Acquisition Ordinance No. 43 vol. 31 of 14th September 1944 with a certificate title dated 19th November 1945 as No. 33/33/4 in the Lands Registry Lagos.

He said Lagos State Government which took over the land in 1967 after its creation, has continued to exercise rights over the property which, according to him, is still under the public purpose for which it was acquired, adding that the state government contested and won a suit No. HCT/200/98 in the Ota Judicial Division in 1998.

He said in the case of Agbara within the Lagos State Territory , there were noticeable signboards, markets and car parks constructed by Ado Odo/ Ota Local Government of Ogun State and other agencies.

Commenting on similar attempts by the Ogun State officials to acquire the Lagos State lands in Agbara, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Agunsoye Rotimi said there was equally a meeting between officials of governments of the two states where it was also agreed that there should be no encroachments adding, however, that inspite of the agreement, the Ogun State Government had continued to issue Certificates of Occupancy on the lands.

The Commissioner assured the Lagos State communities living on the land that the state government would do everything possible to protect them and their properties.

He explained that the two governments jointly submitted a boundary plan to the National Boundary Commission covering the area now being encroached upon by the Ogun State Government adding, “We have found an escalation of what we may call an unfriendly act by the Ogun State Government officials.

Also speaking on the issue, the Permanent Secretary for Lands, Alhaji Gbenga Ashafa, explained that as far as the Badagry area was concerned, the survey and boundary plans were still available adding that the land on which the Isheri-Oke Remand Home was built was acquired by the colonial government from the Okudoro Family.

“On the part of the Lagos State Government, we will treat every unfriendly act as a threat to the lives and property of Lagosians”, he said.

The ultimatum will expire on Wednesday, March 5, 2008.