Kunle ADELABU
-Council to operate temporarily from 2 locations on Lagos Road
-IBILE Holdings assure of constructing another permanent secretariat within 18 to 24 months
It is just a matter of weeks or at most months for the historic edifice that has been serving as the secretariat of the Ikorodu Local Government for many years to cease to exist.
But in its place, a magnificent structure which would transforms the social and economic lives of Ikorodu division is expected to spring up soon.
At a stakeholders meeting held in the conference room of the council on Thursday, May 31, 2018, the fate of the secretariat, which has been in the news for some months, was finally sealed.
At the crucial meeting, the management of Ikorodu Local Government was given two weeks to vacate the secretariat for the construction of the Shoprite plaza.
The two weeks quit notice would elapse on June 11, 2018.
It was gathered that the quit notice was initially one week because IBILE Holdings,the body facilitating the establishment of the Shoprite Plaza, established that rent has been paid on the two properties on Lagos Road for the council to move into.
The stakeholders, which included the Ayangbure of Ikorodu, HRM Oba Kabir Adewale Shotobi, the Chairman of Ikorodu LG, Hon. Wasiu Adeshina, the Council Leader, Hon. Salman Ayobami, former All Progressives Chairman in Ikorodu LG, Alhaji Rilwan Jinadu and others, had gathered at the prompting of the IBILE Holdings.
IBILE Holdings are the Investment Company of the Lagos State Government created to spur economic growth of the Lagos State economy by deploying Capital in Commercial, Viable & Strategic industries that are crucial to the development of Lagos State to be of economic benefits to its citizens.
THE IMPACT gathered that the President of IBILE Holdings led the representatives and other members of the body to the meeting.
Reliable sources at the meeting informed THE IMPACT that the leader of the delegate informed the stakeholders that the idea of bringing Shoprite to Ikorodu division started when the Governor of Lagos State, Mr Akinwummi Ambode, was passing by the Shoprite at Ikeja and noticed an unusual crowd.
On enquiry, it was gathered that people from Ikorodu and Alimosho axis of the state had flooded the facility.
This, we gathered, made the governor to direct the IBILE Holdings to source for location where the Africa’s largest food retailer can be cited in Ikorodu.
It was gathered that the location of the secretariat was settled for after considering other areas like Itamaga, Lagos road which did not meet the standard requirement for the location of the plaza.
It was also gathered that the stakeholders were informed that every necessary paper regarding the takeover from the Ikorodu LG and the family that originally owned the 4 acres of land have been perfected and other necessary documents on the establishment of the plaza in Ikorodu.
It was further gathered that the IBILE Holdings were able to convince the stakeholders on the social and economic benefits of the establishment of the plaza in Ikorodu.
Another important issue that came up at the meeting was the name to be written on the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of the land.
THE IMPACT gathered that after extensive deliberations, it was resolved that it should be issued in the name of Ikorodu Local Government which recognizes the joint ownership of the property with other five Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in Ikorodu division against the issuance of the document in the name of Ikorodu Local Government alone which was also proposed in some certain quarters.
Meanwhile, it was also gathered that the IBILE Holdings also assured the stakeholders that the permanent secretariat proposed to be erected on the controversial old secretariat site located directly opposite the Post Office at Ita-Elewa, Ikorodu, would be completed between 18 and 24 months.
The proposed secretariat, according to report, is about five storey building with grand floor as car park.
The Shoprite Group of Companies, is the Africa’s largest food retailer. It operates 2,689 outlets in 15 countries across Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. The company’s headquarters is located in the Western Cape province of South Africa.
Shoprite Holdings Limited is a public company listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, with secondary listings on both the Namibia and Zambia Stock Exchanges.
Shoprite Group opened its first store in 1979 and announced its presence in Nigeria in December 2005 with the opening of its first branch in Lagos.
The idea of citing Shoprite on the council property was initially opposed by a section of the division when it was first introduced on the ground that the historic edifice which started during the administration of Alhaji Mukaila Ajisebutu as the chairman of the old Ikorodu Local Government and was completed during the administration of Otunba Samuel Oyebola Oladeinde as the Chairman of the council in 1995, should be preserved as part of the legacies of the division and that another location should be considered for the citing of the shopping facilities .
The official movement from the old secretariat at Ita-Elewa, along Oriwu Road, where the Council operated from was effected in September 1984 during the administration of Mr Jacob A. Omolade, who was appointed as the administrator between 1984 and 1988.
Meanwhile, another section, which supported the idea, was of the view that successive administrations of the council have under-utilized the 4 acres of land on which the council secretariat is located and that its redevelopment is in the best interest of Ikorodu.
It was also gathered that the three other occupants of the council secretariat, (Skye Bank, the Department of State Security Service (SSS) and the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund) have been given notice to quit the facility within two weeks.
