The Oyo state government has allayed the fears of over 4,000 residents in Ajoda new town that wrongly built on acquired land over the reported demolition plan.
It was stated that rather than demolishing the affected structure the government would apply the 3Rs which are revoke, resettle and relocate.
The Chairman, Oyo State House Corporation, Hon. Ademola Omotosho who disclosed this at a media parley in Ibadan on Wednesday unfolded the government plan to deliver 2,500 housing units in Ajoda new town within twelve months.
He said the housing units which is expected to take care of all categories of the people in the state is in line with the vision of Governor Seyi Makinde led administration of Housing for All.
Omotosho added that with this development more investors including local and foreign would be attracted to the state.
He said that the state is opened to discussion with the organised private sector at ensuring the success of the project.
The vision of the 2,500 housing units is aimed at harnessing as well building on the efforts of past leadership of the corporation who had invested in building road infrastructures on the plots for the housing units which has seen the property appreciate.
He noted that the Ajoda new town project which was started by the David Jemibewon administration in 1976 has suffered slow developmental pace because many allottees of the property held it for to long without developing their plots.
He added that, the law that sets up the corporation empowers it to hold, withdraw and revoke allocation of undeveloped plots after certain period of time to pave way for development.
He lamented that due to the situation, more than 4,000 individuals have encroached on some parts of the vast land, as some of the 5,000 hectare land had been resold illegally by land grabbers to unsuspecting individuals who have went on to erect residential buildings on the encroached parts.
The board chairman, however said, after due consultation with relevant stakeholders, those affected should not nurse any fear of the demolition of their houses, assuring that with their cooperation, government will integrate them into the overall plan and make them permanent tenant of the corporation after normalisation and regularisation of their documentations had been completed.
On the planed 2,500 housing units, Omotosho said the last board spent a lot of money to open up the Ajoda New Town with tarred roads, which is making the state attractive to developers.
He added that the new board is building on the effort of the last board, adding new value and improve on what is on ground with the planned 2,500 housing units.
He also disclosed plans of the corporation to build the Ajoda Omituntun Golf Estate to attract elites into the area, the Ajoda Shopping Mall, to be located inside the Olubadan Estate, opposite Gbagi international market, assuring that, as the projects get approval of the governor, the detailed plans will be made public.
He further explained that the corporation will also develop other parts of the state, so as not to limit development to Ibadan, the capital city alone.
In a related development residents of Ifesowapodokan have appealed to the governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on the derequisition and revocation of the land situated at Odo Ona Kekere, Odo Okun area which was already revoked and later requisitioned in 1992.
The residents, while appealing to the governor, were seen displaying placards with different inscriptions aimed at pressing home their demands, urging the governor to practically come to their aid as several buildings in the area have been marked for demolition.
The group had claimed that the land covering many villages in the area was acquired in 1992 by Oyo State Government at Odo Ona Kekere, along the Old Lagos Road, in Oluyole Local Govt Area.
According to them, the government on 17th March 1998, withdrew the notice of acquisition and canceled the acquisition of the said land as well as marked 13 houses for demolition.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman, Ifesowapodokan Landlord and landlady Association, Mr Olaoluwa Omotayo, and Mrs Caroline Oke, appealed to the current government to integrate them into the development plan.
Meanwhile, during a brief interview with the BCOS news on the matter, the Director General, Oyo State Investment and Public Private Partnership Agency, OYSIPPA, Mr Tilewa Folami, said that the land was revoked by the state government for development purposes.
He acknowledged that the governor, in his magnanimity, had set up a compensation committee that would look into how the concerned property owners, whether they have Certificate of Occupancy or not, would be duly compensated.
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