During the campaigns for his second term bid, the governor had promised people of Onihale, Pakoto, and others that he will not bulldoze their buildings but no sooner than he was sworn in, he moved the dozer to the community housing over Five Thousand houses. Though, government claimed that the land in question was a property of University of Lagos and bearing a valid Certificate of Occupancy dated around Three decades ago. After the governor took his second oath of office, he clamped down on these settlers who had grabbed the Home Owner Chatter of the governor to regularize their claim on the land. They'd equally paid to the covers of the state government for this. They had gone back home basking on the euphoria that their land is genuine and certified by government. Only for Amosun's dozers to come I and short lived the happiness of the people of Onihale to bring down houses that were constructed with life savings of peasant, middle class and hardworking people.
A Demolished Church Building
People of Olokuta in Abeokuta were very unlucky. The governor came down on them soon thereafter. His claim was that Ogun State Government had acquired the said parcel of land and handed same to a developer who wants to invest in mass housing estate. The said acquisition of Olokuta land had hosted people who built their buildings on the said land. Many had died from this insane act. A peasant pepper seller who had committed her life savings on a modest and humble building slumped and passed on after seeing her hope dozed down by government.
The people of Sagamu weren't also unlucky as the spate of wanton destruction was extended to them. Ijebu-Igbo, Ijebu-Ode and other constituent towns of the state weren't lucky as well.
But these orgy of destruction took another dimension when last week, the governor pasted a demolition sign on The Redeemed Church of God, Jesus the Rock Parish around 11am and pulled same building down around 3pm of same day. Government latter came up with the reason for the demolition; a neigbour of the church had petitioned government that the activities of the church were not comfortable for him. This for sure is an afterthought reason for the demolition as news went round town that the presiding pastor of the church is a political archenemy of the governor. Pastor Hon. Remmy Hassan who presides over the church was an ACN member before he took a detour back to his former party; PDP. He aspired to fly the flag of his party at the House of Representatives in the last election. He was equally said to be an enlightened and radical critique of the governor who must have probably used his pulpit to ventilate his disdain on Amosun and his policies.
Mr. Rotimi Paseda wasn't also lucky in the vendetta and destruction menace of the governor. Mr. Paseda, the UPN gubernatorial candidate of Ogun State in the last election had erected a gigantic bill board at the Ikene Junction of the home town of Awolowo Dynasty. He had immortalized the late matriarch with the mega bill board. Amosun's men pulled down the flex of the board. It claim was that Mr Paseda didn't pay for the board. Latter on, government came up with lame and flimsy reason for the destruction; the board constituted environmental hazards.
These series of destruction are not only unwarranted but they are equally unparalleled in the history of the state. People of very low and lean means of survival had their properties destroyed by the governor. People of integrity and opinion leaders should raise their honourable voices against this ignoble acts of destruction.
Oladimeji Oliyide
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