Ikorodu Council, Lagos ministry on collision over demolition
By Chioma Okezie-Okeh
Saturday, January 12, 2008

Living index

The Lagos State Ministry of the Environment has been busy demolishing houses and other structures in the state, but the news about the development is the allegation that innocent citizens and victims are forced to part with huge sums of money before they can lay hands on their commodity after the demolition.

Our sources allege that it was the same tradition recently when the Task force from the ministry struck at Ikorodu. One of the destinations of the bulldozer was the taxi park at Odogunyan. Men of the task force allegedly extorted money from stall owners before they could lay hands on their goods.

This request did not augur well with the people who rushed to call their local government chairman, Prince Adekunle Ogunbela. Ironically, instead of restoring peace, the chairman, was said to have fled the scene when the acclaimed owner of the land, Mr. Paul Palmers, allegedly assaulted him.

Prince Adekunle later petitioned the Lagos Commissioner of Police, over physical assault and malicious damage of the personal property of the Ikorodu Local Government by Paul Palmer aka Aplow. He alleged that Paul brought in thugs and unidentified police officers to Odogunyan, a suburb of Ikorodu town to demolish the public garage without the prior authority and consent of the state government, nor the Commissioner for the Ministry of the Environment, nor any senior officers of the Ministry of the Environment.

Illegal act
According to the petition, Mr. Paul Palmer and some of his thugs assaulted the chairman of the Local government and maliciously damaged his pair of spectacles.

“We suspect an act of bias and partiality on the part of the police officer at the Sagamu /Ikorodu Police post. It is unthinkable that an individual could assault a first citizen of a Local government and further amass thugs to destroy government property and the police would allow such a person to walk freely in the society without any form of arrest. We are calling on the commissioner of police to look into the matter and ensure that justice is done,” the petition read.

I paid to save my wares
Comfort Sonai, a yam flour seller told Saturday Sun that when it dawned on them that the structures were being demolished, they begged that they be allowed to take their good. “ I had to part with N3500 before my shop was opened. I went inside but before I could lay hands on anything, they drove me away”.

Madam Taiwo Tolupe who owns a Limca Depot in the park said that she was made to part with N6500 before she gained access into the shop. “ I knelt down to beg Paul who drove me away.”

We have documents to show
The Chairman, Odogunya Olawale Olowolagba claimed that the family leased the land to them in the late 70’s. By 1993, Federal Ministry of Agriculture tendered document to make the land theirs. The Federal Ministry of Works also asked them to use the land as it belongs to the federal government. “ I have been the chairman for 25 years and none has questioned the land owners. Sometime in 2005, Paul emerged and claimed that he bought a land at the back of the park, which means that he automatically inherited the park.

We met with the landowner who said that it was not part of what they sold as shown on the survey plan. We were called for a meeting and later told to go and beg Paul Palmer. We hope the governor would intervene and restore our park to us. We are not as rich as he is or connected as well. We only plead that what belongs to us should be given us back.”

Call to intervene
According to Prince Adekunle, he had gone to the site to plead with the task force to allow the women to take their goods. “I asked for there boss and I was directed to Paul Palmers known as Aplow. He said the car park belongs to him. How can it be possible when the car has existed before he bought the land? He came after me insulting me that it was the government that gave it to the people. I told him to take it easy so that the people would not be affected. He said that it was the governor that gave him the authority to demolish the park.

He was shouting and I did not respond because we are not equals. Immediately I entered my car, he gave me a blow on the face that broke my glass. I phoned the chairman of the task force, Mr. Solomon who blamed the government that even the local government does not have right to allocate parks.”
“Lagos State government has however set up a committee who would look into the case and I believe justice would be served.

Task Force men
Our reporter contacted the boss of the task force in the ministry, Mr. Suleman. According to him, the land in dispute was allocated in error. He said that when the case came up the various bodies were invited and they were informed before the demolition exercise took place. “ The owner of the house needed the overflow of the land he purchased. They were all called for a meeting where they were all informed that the structure, which happens to be a taxi park, would be demolished. Although I do not know what the family of the owners of the land is trying to say. They later said they did not give the land out. They are all confused.”

Paul Palmer’s defence
Paul Palmer however debunked the allegation stating that they were all lies aimed at tarnishing his image. According to him, he acquired the land years back. His intention was to build a gas station and needed to dismantle the taxi park and create a space for customers to drive in freely. “
They had turned the place into a market and it was not good for me at all. As a peace loving man I called the affected parties to a meeting.

They refused to vacate the premises peacefully. I called in the Ministry of the Environment that confirmed that the land was given in error. They called on them and gave them two months notice. Before the demolition, they were given 48 hours but they refused to vacate. All the documents they presented were falsified it was proven at the Ministry of Environment.”

On the assault on the local government chairman, Paul said that he did not touch the chairman. Rather he blamed it on the market women who felt aggrieved the chairman had deceived them. “ If the chairman was assaulted it was done by the women in the community. I learnt that he had collected money from the stall owners when he knew that the place was to be demolished. They were even shouting at him probably that was when he sustained an injury.”