Wale JAGUN
-Committee asks Surveyor-General to provide map showing councils’ boundaries in initial petition.
There seems to be no respite for Ikorodu Local Government concerning allegations of encroachments by other councils in Ikorodu Division on their lands.
While the mother council is still battling with a petition from Ijede LCDA which is before the House Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Public Petitions & LASIEC of the Lagos State House of Assembly, the council is again facing another petition initiated by Igbogbo/Bayeku Local Council Development Area (LCDA).
THE IMPACT gathered that the petition was submitted to the Assembly in April this year and a special committee , headed by Hon. Akande Victor with Hon. Nurudeen Solaja , the lawmaker representing Ikorodu Constituency II , and others as members, has been constituted to look into the matter ,while officials of the three councils had appeared before the committee in 2019.
Igbogb/Bayeku LCDA, it was gathered, petitioned the Assembly alleging Ikorodu LG of encroaching on its lands in Ewu-Elepe, Omitoro and Eleshin areas.
The council also alleged that Ijede LCDA is trespassing on Banana community and other two areas under her authority.
Our source at a meeting summoned by a Special Investigation Committee of the Lagos Assembly help on Thursday, August 29, 2019, stated that Comrade Sesan Daini, Chairman, Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA , argued before the House Committee that his position is based on administrative and electoral grounds.
Hon. Wasiu Adeshina and Hon. Fathiu Salisu, the Chairmen, Ikorodu LG and Ijede LCDA respectively , were said to have stated that the matter is a boundary issue and asked that the petition be merged with the other one brought before the Assembly.
However, while adjourning the matter, THE IMPACT gathered that the committee , which established at the initial stage of its deliberations that the petition by Igbogbo/Bayeku LCDA was a different one, told the parties that the request to merge the two petitions may be considered after discussing with the Speaker on the matter.
Meanwhile, THE IMPACT also gathered that Surveyor Sangowawa, the Surveyor-General of Lagos State, on Wednesday, August 28, 2019, appeared before the Assembly’s Judiciary, Human Rights & Public Petitions committee to present a large map showing the boundaries of the councils in Ikorodu Division in the initial petition by Ijede LCDA.
Our sources at the meeting reliably informed THE IMPACT that the committee , chaired by Hon. Tunde Buraimoh , stated that the map presented by the Surveyor-General is too complex and as a result , he was directed to present one that can be read by ordinary layman.
It was also gathered that the committee also directed that the map to be presented by the Surveyor-General must clearly show the boundaries of the affected councils.
It was also gathered that Surveyor Sangowawa, while making his presentation to the Assembly’s committee , stated that it is possible for another council’s pooling booth to be located within the boundary of another council.
This, our source reliably gathered that , Sangowawa buttressed by stating that electoral delineations have been made before the creation of the LCDAs and new councils boundaries from the old 20 Local Government areas.
Both matters were adjourned to this week.
