In the Ona-Ara Local Government of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, barely 24-hours ago, many residents of the ancient city watched as their houses were pulled down by the Oyo State Government.
This was not unconnected with the claims of the state Commissioner for Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Williams Akinfunmilayo who disclosed that the government acquired 500 metres of space for the road project on both the right and left.
“I just enquired from the team that went there, and they said just a little over 50 were touched and some of the residents have even been removing the iron sheets before they got there. Nobody demolished 500 houses. And those buildings touched were ones about 100 to 150 metres from Circular road.
“Those who have genuine papers should come to the secretariat. The government will compensate them. What the government has acquired is 500 metres to the left and right. So, whoever is affected, with genuine papers, will be compensated”, assured the commissioner.
The affected communities are Fashade; Aba Osho; Igbalefa; Adigbe; Badeku; Akamo; Alase; Ojoku; Dare; Isase; Oleke Meji as well as Ogido, all within the Local Government Area.
Residents claimed to be unaware of the exercise, and this was evident in their statements.
One of the residents said, “This exercise came to us as a surprise. The governor had, during our peaceful protest to the Secretariat in January, promised that our houses would not be demolished. I was privileged to speak on behalf of others when we went there. We told him about what was posted on our houses by the Ministry of Lands.
“And first, the governor promised that our houses would not be demolished, that we should go back to our various homes. Secondly, he promised to talk to the Commissioner for Lands and get back in three months. That we should just give him (Makinde) three months to work on it, but we should rest assured that the government will not demolish our houses. The government did not wait till three months (April) before it started demolishing our houses.
“We expected that three months to lapse by next month (April) to meet the governor again about his promise. He also promised that the government would compensate affected residents, and since yesterday (Tuesday) till today (Wednesday), about 500 houses have been demolished. And it is still an ongoing exercise.”