Kunle Adelabu
The Chairman of the Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Hon. (Otunba) Sulaimon Kazeem Olanrewaju has warned those encroaching on the council’s properties to stay clear or risk jail term.
He said that he is not ready to negotiate with anybody as he is ready to retrieve all the properties belonging to the council that are handed over to him and use them for project that would benefit the generality of residents.
Hon. Sulaimon issued the warning at the stakeholders’ consultative forum in preparation of the 2023 budget of the council, held at the Ikorodu West LCDA Secretariat hall on Friday, December 2, 2022.
The council boss, while responding to the demands of youths that the council should make available a land for the construction of a mini – stadium as requested by the Director – General, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr Oluwatoyin Gafaar Bolowotan, alleged that one double chief (real name not disclosed) has sold the land that he intended to make available for the sporting facilities.
“Our forefathers gave a land to the local government, but unfortunately, some men are on the land, and even they have sold it. They came here this morning (Friday) trying to negotiate. The man responsible is called double chief. I just have to expose him”, Hon. Sulaimon said.
“I might send the man to the jail because this is a government land”, he threatened.
“I intend giving the land to the state government to build a mini – sports stadium that will be useful for all us in Ikorodu West LCDA.
“There is another land that was also given to the council opposite the PHC at Majidun and before now, the place was abandoned. Immediately it was awarded to somebody to make use of the place, this same man went to court”, he added.
“He is trying to negotiate with me that he has gone to the court, but I am not going to give anybody a dime and I have told him that when he came.
“Since the land was there abandoned, this man or any other person did not see the need to put the land in order, and now that somebody was placed on it and taking good care of the land, that is when he remembered that he wanted to collect back the land given to the council by a family”, Hon. Sulaimon said.
The council boss said that he has been trying to retrieve all the properties of the council that are handed – over to him by his predecessor when he took over the administration, and that he will not rest until the land are taking back.
He appealed to the Sekumade of Ipakodo, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Engr.) Bashir Sotonwa, eminent individuals in the council and general residents to intervene in the matter.
“I have been trying to retrieve properties of the council handed over to me, since I resumed into this office. I am begging Kabiyesi (Oba Bashir Sotonwa) and everybody to let the man know that I am not going to give him anything”, Hon. Sulaimon insisted.
“If our fathers had sold all the land, will there still be anything left for them to sell? I am saying this with pains in my heart. This is council’s properties and not that I want to use it personally. I want the lands back for public use”.
Hon. Sulaimon also lamented that another set of people are claiming and encroaching on the large expanse of land being used as Mechanic village along the Agric/Isawo Road, thereby, preventing the allocation of the land for a mini – general hospital.
He alleged that some powerful people who are planning to use the land to build private houses, are behind the scheming which he said will not be possible.
Chief Joseph Olatunji Aluko, Baale Owutu, Ikorodu West LCDA, buttressing the chairman’s position, alleged that the man in question has constituted himself as major problem to the council, adding that none of his family is relating with him, because of his attitudes.
He said that the man has been making him to spend more time in court and also disturbing the peace of the council.
“The man is a member of our family, but he’s acting on his own and has been disturbing the entire community. He is part of the problem affecting my Obaship ambition, because I have been a Baale for over 30 years”, Baale Owutu alleged.
“Now that the Chairman has brought his matter into the open, we must find solution to it. I want everybody in this council to know that this man is responsible for many problems that we are facing in this community.
“If the land has been made available to the state as the Chairman wanted, it would be an avenue to engage our youths and make them productive.
“I have been going to court on several matters against him. At a time, he said that he wanted to become the King of Ebute – Iga and Owutu and I charged him to court and won at the High Court. He appealed the matter at the Appeal Court which I also won before he accepted defeat”, Chief Aluko recalled.
“After that, he also claimed that he wanted to be a king over Ebute – Iga and Majidun forgetting that Majidun is under my control.
“He is a big problem to us in this community, and I want everybody to be aware of this. He has also been disturbing the Sekumade since he became the Ipakodo monarch. He is a big problem to us in Ikorodu West LCDA”, the community leader added.
Chief Aluko also alleged that ‘Double Chief’ has been selling lands that he’s not entitled to, to multiple people, thereby, causing problems within the family and the council at large.
“He is always selling the same lands to multiple people and more so, he doesn’t have right to these lands”, Baale Owutu also alleged.
“He has been making me spent more time in court. He doesn’t leave the court, and the entire family has left him to his own. I once wrote a petition to Alagbon against him, and all his family members followed me to testify against him”.
