Laide Raheem, Abeokuta
Indigenes and residents of the 13 villages, whose lands were acquired for the proposed Federal Teaching Hospital and College of Medicine, have concluded plans to drag the Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta and the Ogun State Government to court.
The action, according to the affected communities, followed the failure of the management of the FMC and the state government to honor its agreement of payment of compensation to the affected villages.
The affected villages include Ajibayo, Obele, Ijeun Amosun, Oba, Gbagura, Fonfon, Ogbagba, Akiode, Apena and Otunba Villages. Others are Ijeun Lemo Ikereku and Oluwo Kemta villages, all in Obafemi-Owode local government areas of the state
In a statement signed by Babatunde Olumide and Olaewe Sunday, the village heads of Ajibayo and Oluwo Kemta villages, respectively, on behalf of the 13 communities, it said the move became necessary because the FMC and the Ogun State Government had failed to fulfill their promises in spite of various steps and agreement between the parties.
They noted that the villagers, under the auspice of “Coalition of Heads of the affected villages”, had written series of letters to the management of FMC and state government, to get compensation and resettlement after the “forceful take-over” of their lands and villages for the proposed FMC Teaching Hospital.
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The village heads, added that though delegations from the FMC and state government had visited the communities and promised to fulfill their promises before the end of July, nothing has been done till now.
They, therefore, vowed to use all legal means available to ensure that the affected communities are compensated and resettled properly before they allow any meaningful thing to be done on the acquired land.
“Already, none of us has been able to farm or perform any legitimate things on that land again. Our lands and houses have been taken over, how does government want us to survive?” they asked.
