Ogun State May Revoke land allocations to Gbenga Daniel’s associates

Oct 11, 2011 – Ogun State May Revoke land allocations to Gbenga Daniel’s associates – The state’s lawmakers fault the process that was used in allocating land to cronies of the former governor

The beneficiaries of the Ibara Housing Renewal Scheme in Abeokuta, Ogun State, may soon lose their allocations if the threat of the state’s House of Assembly is carried out. 

The indication emerged on Monday as the Legislative Panel of Enquiry into Sales of Government Property during (former governor) Gbenga Daniel’s administration declared allocations under the scheme null and void.

The panel’s declaration followed the inability of Anthony Ladega, the General Manager, Ogun State Housing Corporation, to present a genuine board’s resolution backing the sale.

The Chairman of the panel, Remmy Hassan, declared as unacceptable the unsigned board’s resolution presented by Ladega, describing any purported transactions relating to it as null and void.

The panel also decried the rebates granted to the beneficiaries who were mostly Daniel’s political associates. The rebates ranged from between 75 and 90 per cent for the lands valued at N10 million each.

Ladega, however, claimed that the rebates were granted by the governor through telephone directives.

Hassan said that the allocations could be revoked unless the agency was able to present a signed resolution of the board directing the sale of the property.

Some of the beneficiaries of the properties, according to Ladega, are Yomi Coker, the factional Speaker of the House of Assembly; Adepegba Otemolu, former factional Secretary of the PDP in Ogun; Ayo Von, a retired Permanent Secretary; Yanju Lipede, former Chairman of  Abeokuta South Local Government Council.

The panel contended that the agency was unfair to the former occupants of the houses who alleged that they were displaced to give way to Daniel’s political associates.

Hassan argued that given the ridiculous rebate, most of the civil servants would have paid the amount the new beneficiaries were now made to pay.

Meanwhile, the panel has decided to embark on a joint physical inspection with key officials of the agency on some of the sites acquired by the agency which has remained contentious.

Hassan said the step had become necessary to make clarifications over some of the memoranda received from members of the public, alleging lack of due process in the acquisition of the affected sites. Daily Times