Daniel sold govt lands to associates, cronies – Ogun Assembly

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Category: Politics
Published on Thursday, 06 October 2011 07:11
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The Ogun State lawmakers who commenced investigations into sales and allocation of government lands and property by the immediate past administration of ex-Governor Gbenga Daniel yesterday, were shocked with the revelations of how political associates and cronies of the former governor cornered the wealth of the state.

The General Manager of Ogun State Housing Corporation, Anthony Ladega, who was the first to appear before the panel told the House Committee under the Chairmanship of Hon. Remmy Hassan that it allotted a total of 108 hectares at Ogere, valued at N450m to a private university free of charge. The panel also discovered that the agency sold several plots of lands at Ibara Renewal Scheme, in the Government Reservation Area in Abeokuta which was valued at N10m each to politicians with a ridiculous rebate of 50 per cent. While the 108 hectares of land at Ogere axis of the Lagos - Ibadan Expressway in the Ikene Local Government Area was said to have been sold to Leads University, owned by a church, beneficiaries of the Ibara Renewal scheme in the GRA prime area include the factional Speaker of the 6th Legislative Assembly, Hon. Soyemi Coker.

Gbenga_DanielAlso, a Judge of the Federal High Court in the state, (name withheld) was said to be among the beneficiaries of the sales whose plot was favoured for 90 per cent ridiculous rebate. Other politicians who also benefitted are: Jokotade Odebunmi, Justice Dipeolu Arinola, Isiaq Salako, Adepegba Otemolu, Iskilu Makinde, Ayo Vaughan and Yanju Lipede, as well as Francis Omolayole among other influential politicians in the state. The properties in question were said to worth N35m in the real property market as the area was regarded as a prime area in the state.

Again, the committee discovered that an industrial estate located in Shagamu was allotted to only one company, Oracle Assets Limited and the documents were said to have been perfected in April, 2011 which was just a month to the expiration of the administration that sold it. When asked to speak on why the title documents were done same date for the entire industrial estate, the GM of the Housing Corporation, Ladega, responded that Oracle Assets Limited was the only applicant for the industrial estate. He also said to the bewilderment of the committee that his corporation only acted on the order of the governor.

Following this discovery, however, the committee said it was convinced that the agency deliberately demolished four blocks of four flats buildings in the name of renewal in order to displace the workers and pave way for the elite to occupy. Chairman of the committee, Hon. Hassan nullified the argument of the GM who said the properties were sold to raise fund to enable the agency renovate others that were in shambles. (National Mirror)