By James Ogunnaike
The Ogun State chapter of the Labour Party (LP) has accused the Dapo Abiodun-led administration of “recklessly disposing of public assets built with taxpayers’ money,” including the Ibara Housing Estate and properties under the Ogun State Housing Corporation.
The party described the alleged sale of the Ibara Housing Estate as “a direct attack on the collective heritage of Ogun State,” warning that such actions threaten the future of affordable housing in the state.
The allegation was contained in a statement signed by the National Vice Chairman of the Labour Party (South West), Dr Abayomi Arabambi, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta.
According to Arabambi, the estates were built to serve civil servants and ordinary citizens and not to be “quietly handed over to private interests through opaque and anti-people arrangements.”
“The reported sale of the Ibara Housing Estate is nothing but a direct attack on the collective heritage of Ogun State,” Arabambi said. “These estates were built to serve civil servants and ordinary citizens, not to be quietly handed over to private interests through opaque and anti-people arrangements.”
He appealed to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, former Governor Olusegun Osoba and other eminent leaders to urgently intervene and prevail on Governor Abiodun to halt the alleged sale.
Arabambi warned that the Ogun State Housing Corporation, established nearly 50 years ago to address housing deficits, was being dismantled through what he described as irresponsible asset stripping.
“You cannot correct administrative failures by selling off the people’s inheritance,” he declared. “This government is trading the future of Ogun State for short-term gains.”
The Labour Party also faulted what it described as a lack of transparency in the alleged transactions, insisting that there was no consultation with residents, labour unions, the Ogun State House of Assembly or traditional institutions.
“There was no consultation, no public hearing and no disclosure. This is a clear violation of due process and an affront to democratic governance,” Arabambi said.
He argued that rather than selling public estates, the government should focus on infrastructure development and housing renewal.
“The government should be constructing roads, rehabilitating existing housing facilities and strengthening the Housing Corporation to fulfil its mandate of providing housing for all, not for a few emergency millionaires produced between May 29, 2019 and today,” he added.
Arabambi further warned that silence from elder statesmen and traditional rulers would only embolden what he called the erosion of public property.
“The silence of respected elders like Chief Obasanjo, Prof. Wole Soyinka and Baba Osoba will only embolden the continued conquest of Egba land and the erosion of public property,” he said.
The party demanded an immediate suspension of all alleged housing asset sales and full disclosure of beneficiaries and processes involved, in line with the Freedom of Information Act.
“We made FOI requests over two months ago, but the Dapo Abiodun administration has unlawfully ignored them,” Arabambi alleged.
He disclosed that the party’s legal adviser, Prof. Yemi Oke, SAN, has been briefed to initiate legal action.
“Our lawyer has been briefed to initiate legal proceedings against Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Secretary to the State Government, the Commissioner for Housing and other relevant officials if this impunity continues,” he said.
The party warned that Ogun residents would resist any attempt to privatise public housing without due process, open competitive bidding and popular consent.
“We will resist any form of privatisation that does not follow the law and the will of the people. All forms of land grabbing and lawless acquisition must be stopped immediately,” Arabambi added.
Govt reacts
Reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr Kayode Akinmade, dismissed the allegations, describing Arabambi’s comments as ignorant and irresponsible.
“Akinmade said Arabambi is speaking from a position of ignorance. He simply wants to talk for the sake of talking, and his comments are flippant, lacking both understanding of government administration and basic decorum,” he said.
He explained that the Ibara G.R.A. is a Government Reserved Area, meaning it is government-owned, and forms part of the state’s urban renewal initiative.
“The government’s urban renewal initiative has been applauded by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, Chief Olusegun Osoba and Professor Wole Soyinka. It is widely recognised as one of the best developments to happen in the urban centre,” Akinmade said.
Describing urban renewal as a global practice, he said it involves modernising cities and giving them a facelift.
“When you visit the areas being referred to, you will see beautiful houses springing up along that corridor. This is a phenomenon peculiar to cities and is practised all over the world,” he added.
Akinmade insisted that those benefiting from the initiative clearly understand its value, stressing that they are indigenes of Ogun State and that it is not the responsibility of critics to dictate housing policy to the government.
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