The Oyo State House of Assembly has set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate alleged move by the state government to acquire lands and buildings of inhabitants of Olorisa-Oko, Ajibade, Alabata, Agbedo, Alase in the Akinyele local government area of the state.
The ad-hoc committee is expected to summon the state Permanent Secretary on Lands and Housing; state Surveyor General; Director of Physical Planning; and Baales of the affected villages.
The Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin led Assembly reached this decision after considering a motion by the member representing Akinyele 2 constituency, Honourable Olatunde Kehinde on the alleged move by the state government.
Monday’s motion came on the heels of protests by the concerned inhabitants to the state Secretariat that the state government planned to acquire hundreds of hectares of land for a new city called “Ilu Tuntun” business district.
The residents had bemoaned that no fewer than 50,000 residents spread across communities in and around Olorisa-Oko were about to be rendered homeless if the state government goes ahead with its plan to acquire over 1,500 hectares of land for the business district.
Noting that governments in the past had, in the same Akinyele local government, acquired over hundreds of hectares of land for the Dry Port project, Circular Road project, railway line project, car park and housing projects, abattoir, the protesting residents had lamented that further acquisition of land, in the area, will lead to homelessness, loss of present and future earnings from farming, loss of our clients’ age-long cultural heritage.
Presenting the case of his constituents at Monday’s plenary, Honourable Olatunde Kehinde warned that the state government was at risk of causing confusion in the affected communities if it implemented public policy without dialoguing with the beneficiaries of the development.
Olatunde pointed to tension in the affected communities because of the suspicion that the government planned to acquire their lands without due process.
He particularly observed that with inhabitants of the affected villages being predominantly farmers, they were displeased that their means of livelihood was about to be taken away, through the back door.
Commenting on the motion, Honourable Adebayo Babajide of Ibadan North II constituency highlighted the consequences of the gap in information, urging the state government to always carry along the people and relevant stakeholders in its actions so as to prevent crisis.
Speaking, Honourable Dele Adeola of Iseyin/Itesiwaju constituency argued that the state government acquired 2,000 hectares of land for development control purposes, bearing in mind that projects like dry port, railway, circular road were coming to the area.
On his own part, the Majority Leader, Honourable Sanjo Adedoyin argued that Governor Seyi Makinde was a listening man and would not take steps to hurt the people of Oyo state.
Adedoyin held that he was sure the intention of the government to have a business district in the local government area must have been informed by the need to expand infrastructural facilities in preparation for projects like Dry port, Railway and Circular road in the area.
Honourable Tunde Isiaka of Oyo East/Oyo West constituency called for calm, avowing belief that the state government will adhere to due process to take the land as contained in the Land Use Act.
To investigate the issue, Speaker of Assembly, Honourable Adebo Ogundoyin, consequently, set up an ad-hoc committee headed by Honourable Bamidele Adeola to meet with relevant stakeholders with a view to ensuring that the state government adheres to due process.
The committee was mandated to give a report two weeks after resumption from its yearly recess that begins on Wednesday.
Also passed into law is the State Elderly Persons Protection Bill, 2021 as sponsored by Honourable Olawumi Oladeji of Ogbomoso North constituency.
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