Some tenants, who reached out to The Guardian said they have been enduring intimidation by the principal since he assumed the role in 2019.
A tenant, who spoke with The Guardian said, Owojori had complained in 2021 that the tenants were using the space and paying peanuts, but when they asked if he wanted to increase the rent he said no.
He also alleged that Owojori told them that giving out the place in the first instance is corruption on the part of his predecessors, but he has been collecting money for rent since he came on board.
The source said a former Minister of Housing, Land and Urban Developmental, Amal Pepple came to the Centre when she was a minister and commended the tenants for serving the purpose of the centre.
He also alleged that the former Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu came to the centre when some trainees were passing out and encouraged them to put in more work.
The tenants said they were surprised that despite their contributions to the human development of the centre, they were asked to move out.
The source said the intimidation got to its peak on January 5, 2022, when they resumed after observing the New Year Holiday.
“Owojori sent a letter to us that we should leave the premises at the end of February 2022. We called Mrs. Onuoha, who brought Owojori to the centre one Mr. Gbenga Otubela and the head of Carpentry, Wasiu Ganiyu, who pleaded for two months extension and obliged.
“On Tuesday, May 31, 2022, which was the last day and we pleaded again for more time, but he insisted we must leave. He asked the security man not to allow us in until we come with a truck to remove our belongings.
“Owojori also asked the man in the Interior decoration and furniture department, tailoring and one other person to leave. His brother is there using the place while he wants us out.
“I am still begging him to give us more time because he’s only trying to eject everybody and bring in new tenants,” the source alleged.
When The Guardian reached out to Owojori, he said: “I don’t have any tenant, I am a Principal of a school, I belong to the Federal Government.
“They have been there illegally and everything happened before I got there. I have accommodated them enough and now we want to use the space for training. I asked them to leave the place by the end of March 2022 and they wrote an undertaking to leave on May 31, 2022, so, what again do they want? I am a public servant and I do everything based on the instruction I get from Abuja. Write anything in the paper, so people will question them on their interest in the government property.
“I don’t have any brother using any space there. Those people are not sincere. The person who is instigating all these is the tailor, I prevented him from gossiping around and I told him to leave the place. He has been there for almost 20 years. People are there as squatters, they are living there illegally and it’s time for them to go.”
