AFBA seeks better deal for Lagosians

The African Bar Association (AFBA) has implored Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to protect the poor in the society and not make more residents homeless.

The President, AFBA, Hannibal Uwaifo, in a statement, said the state government must be more proactive in dealing with the plight of indigenes and the poor in Lagos, following the illegal activities of land grabbers in Oke-Ogun Museyo community along the Ibeju-Lekki axis of Lagos.

According to Uwaifo, government cannot take land for public purpose and when it wants to give it out to private developers, those who originally owned the land should be considered first. He added that some indigenes have submitted a letter for regularisation, which private developers are also exploring to take possession of sections of land within the community, but the state government has not acted on the indigenes’ request.

“The unfortunate thing about these activities is that they are not activities in the interest of the settlers; they are negative activities that are bound to create unrest, and create a lot of problems not only for those who are going to acquire those lands and build luxury houses because we are driving away the people,” said Uwaifo. He urged the government to holistically look at development activities along the Ibeju-Lekki axis of the state.

“If government acquires land under the law, it’s for public purposes. A government cannot acquire plots of land and then give them to private individuals to build private estates; that would be wrong in law. So, we assume it’s for public purposes. We assumed that everybody should be treated equally, and in that case, we believe that the government should now consider the settlers first and foremost in dealing with those lands,” Uwaifo stated.

The AFBA president equally urged the Lagos State House of Assembly to intervene more than ever before and appealed to the state government not to make more people homeless in Lagos. “They have already submitted an application for regularisation; their application should be speedily attended to and granted,” said Uwaifo, as he called for equity and fairness on the part of the government.

The Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA), Oke-Ogun Museyo, Adedeji Adeagbo, said the community applied for regularisation about three months ago. “We are yet to get a response from the government since we made our regularisation application. But, what we have noticed is that the activities of security operatives that used to terrorize us and that of the land grabbers have reduced.”

Recalled that members of the Oke-Ogun Museyo community recently held a peaceful protest at the State Government House at Alausa, where the protesters stated that the community, which is home to over 2000 people, is being gradually taken over by a private real estate company which according to them claim to be working on behalf of the state government. Reason they appealed to Sanwo-Olu to intervene over the ongoing encroachment and demolition of houses by the real estate company.