Abiodun, Daniel Tango over Demolition Threat, Ex-Gov Alleges Victimisation

•Physical planning laws for public good, says government

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The furore between the Ogun state government and a former Governor of the state,  Senator Gbenga Daniel, over a quit notice and demolition threat served on the federal lawmaker’s properties, festered yesterday, with Daniel accusing the government of political victimisation.

The properties in question are the Asoludero Court, Sagamu; Conference Hotel, Sagamu and the G Hotel Annex, also located in Sagamu.

Daniel through one of his aides, Steve Oliyide, alleged that Governor Dapo Abiodun’s private residence in Iperu, has no valid documents too and should also be affected by the law he was trying to enforce.

The former governor maintained that those properties that were affected by the government’s actions, have valid documents and the documents were in government custody, stating that court action may be taken against the state government.

Oliyide alleged that Abiodun lacked the moral right to serve a contravention order on anyone in Ogun State, describing the demolition threat as “clear political persecution and witch-hunting” and vowed it would be resisted “within the ambit of the law.”

But in a counter press conference, the government, through the State Commissioner for Urban and Regional Planning, Mr Tunji Odunlami, challenged Daniel to present documents of all the properties in question for verification.

Odunlami called on Daniel to send his representatives to the relevant government offices to show his documents for verification and obtain clearance. He insisted that the government follows clear procedures whenever a property is to be sealed.

The Ogun state government stated that the goal of physical planning laws and regulations is to aid urban development and control land use in the public interest, noting that the ongoing exercise in Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode local government areas is not to victimise any law-abiding citizens but to ensure that development laws are obeyed.

Odunlami stated that the exercises were aimed at verifying the permit status of all types of developments, including houses, schools, hospitals, and other commercial buildings.

The owners of such properties, Odunlami noted, were served due notices to approach the Ogun State Planning and Development Permit Authority, an agency of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, to present relevant documents in conformity with existing building laws and regulations.

“It is pertinent to note that this is a daily routine and ongoing activity of this agency and is devoid of witch-hunting, and therefore not designed to harm the interests of any individual. It is a simple and transparent approach that is known and adopted worldwide, including in most states in Nigeria. What we are currently doing is no exception.

“This exercise has been done in Abeokuta and is now extended to Sagamu and Ijebu-Ode, where there is no fuss except this one. It is also going to be carried out in Ota and Ilaro, where we also have GRAs,” he said.

The commissioner emphasised that the owner of any building served with the notice only needs to approach the office that issued the notice and present their permit and other documents for verification.

 “As we speak, Otunba Gbenga Daniel has yet to do so or make any representation to that effect. That is why whenever OGSG issues enforcement notices, genuine developers respond through the proper channels by justifying their developments or seeking plan adjustments and ratifications,” he added.

Odunlami affirmed that the state government has a standing mandate to enforce its physical planning laws and does so every day across the state, considering only the law and public good.

The identity of developers, the commissioner maintained, does not feature in its considerations, adding that the current enforcement notices issued are not different, as they form only a small part of several enforcement notices issued this month.

 “While OGSG does not concede the stated ages or stages of these developments, the law is clear – the State Physical Planning Law and all regulations under it are enforceable at any time and for all time on all developments in the State, including developments that preceded the law,” he said.