The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Lagos Council, Dr. Qasim Akinreti, has assured subscribers to the NUJ Mowe land of his administration’s determination to recover the land.
Akinreti made this pledge when he led a delegtion of the State Executive Council (SEC) and other stakeholders to the NUJ site in Mowe, Ogun State. The NUJ Mowe land has been enmeshed in crises, following a controversial housing project initiated by the Nigerian Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) President, Mrs. Ify Omowole.
During the tour of the 56.753 hectares of land, the team expressed shock at the state of affairs on the land, which was bought over a decade ago by the union.
Musa Odoshimokhe, the Nation’s Newspaper NUJ Chapel Chairman who was part of the delegation, lamented that no development had taken place on the land. He said it was regrettable that given the peculiar situation journalists in the country had found themselves, self-help programmes initiated by the leadership of the union to provide shelter for its members had been left to not only waste away but be a subject of embarrassment to all.
He regretted that out of the 56.753 hectares of land, less than a plot of land was fenced, despite that subscribers paid N60,000 for perimeter fencing per plot more than five years ago to the immediate past administration of Mr. Deji Elumoye.
Stakeholders also rued the uncompleted gate house and iron gate, which they claimed not only fell short of standard, but has suffered from corrosion due to long years of inactivity on the land. The survey pillars, the stakeholders said, have been washed away.
The NUJ SEC also condemned in strong terms, the three uncompleted structures on the land built by the developer, Primewaterview Holding Limited. It maintained that the structure did not only fall short of expectation in terms of standard, it did not justify the amount members were made to pay to the developer.
“This is not the type of house they told us we will get. This is exploitation and it is a shame. A lot of our members had high hopes of owning their houses through this project but now this seems like a shattered dream,” Odoshimokhe lamented.