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Lagos State governor Babatunde Fashola yesterday raised the alarm over the Minister of State for Defence, Senator Musliu Obanikoro’s invasion of the state with soldiers to disrupt the ongoing Ilubirin Housing projects on the Lagos Island.
Fashola, who expressed his reservations while rendering his account of stewardship in the last 2,500 days in office at the Lagos Television ground, added that agents of the federal government were bent on frustrating projects being undertaken by the state government.
He said: “The work we are undertaking at Oyingbo, I think Ayanleke asked that question. The contractor at Oyingbo has stopped works because some agents of the federal government moved soldiers there, claiming that they own the land. As far as I can recall, that land was acquired by the Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson during his tenure when Alhaji Femi Okunnu was the federal commissioner for works.
“In the documents handed over to our government, Alhaji femi Okunnu clearly indicated that that land belonged to the Lagos state government. It has been unused for many years. It was when we started this Lagos HOMS initiative that we decided to build 48 flats there.
“We started building and then people came with soldiers claiming it belongs to the federal government. They instructed the soldiers to stop the construction.”
Fashola explained that the land had been there in last five years, saying the contract to reclaim the land was issued by the Lagos State government to Julius Berger under the last administration.
But in a swift reaction to the allegation, Senator Obanikoro denied it and described it as a blatant lie. He also explained that the land belongs to the federal government and the state government has failed to obtain any permission from the appropriate agencies of government.
He said, “It is a complete lie. I did not stop anybody from working, neither did I disturb anyone. That land he claims belongs to the state government in fact belongs to the Nigerian Inland Waterways Authority.
“The first question you need to ask him is, did they obtain permission from that agency? The other side of the water is the Third Mainland bridge which means the construction violates the high way set back laws. Did they obtain permission from the Power Holding Company of Nigeria. What they are doing is illegal and unfortunate.”
Source: Leadership
