Ogun Assembly Drills Daniel’s Ex-aides Over Alleged Illegal Land Acquisition

Contrary to rumour making the round that the Ogun State House of Assembly Committee on Lands and Acquisition is out to witchhunt and seek vengeance against the former governor, Gbenga Daniel, the Committee chairman, Hon.(Pastor) Remmy Hazzan has debunked the rumour.

Speaking with our correspondent today on the allegation and other issues, the former deputy speaker of the Ogun state House of Assembly frowned at those peddling such rumour as he described them as enemies of progress.

According to him,”my brother, let me tell you, all these are the handiwork of detractors, but that will never make me or any of my member to be distracted. It is a distraction and we will handle that. They were rattled by what happened yesterday. Does that need to be on an oath before doing what we are doing?

“The rumour about oath taking can never rear its ugly head again in our state. I have my record there for everybody to see and I will never do anything that will dent my name and image. All the members are people of proven integrity. This will let some people know that no matter how mighty you may think you are, there is a law that will make you to bow.”

The lawmaker was reacting to the allegations that the committee members have sworn to an oath to see that those that will appear before it committee are treated with disrespect, considering the hullaballo that occurred during the time Hazzan was the deputy speaker in the state.

The Committee on Lands and Acquisition headed by Hon. Remmy Hazzan yesterday drilled eight former political appointees and top government functionaries under the immediate past administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel over their alleged roles in illegal acquisition of lands across the state.

The interrogation which lasted for hours took place at the Committee Room of the Assembly in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, with the invitees being drilled individually for a minimum of 45 minutes each.

One of the invitees, Gboyega Isiaka, the PPN gubernatorial candidate in the state in the last election declared that he never regretted his action in the controversial concession, stressing that if he had same opportunity he would play same role.

Others also grilled were Gboyega Isiaka (former Managing Director, Gateway Holdings), Jokotade Odebunmi (former Housing Commissioner), Isiaq Salako (ex-commissioner for Health) ,Ayo Vaughan (retired Permanent Secretary), Kehinde Sogunle (former commissioner for finance), Gbenga Ogunnaike (former Director-General Bureau of Lands), Femi Egundeyi (Director of Finance/Administration, Bureau of Lands) and Kayode Anibaba (Managing Director, Gateway City Ltd).

At the questioning session, the invitees frowned at the manner they were invited by the committee. According to them, they got to know about their hearings through the pages of newspapers, television and radio stations.

Responding to the invitees’ argument, the committee chairman, Remmy Hazzan said the invitation was the resolution of the assembly, which was legal, but quickly added that, it was because the committee could not have their contact addresses.

While giving the reason behind inviting them through the media, the former deputy speaker told our correspondent that, “they said they were embarrassed by the way we invited them. My question to them then was that is there anyone of them that left behind his/her contact address? We have told them to now write down their contact address(es) since we are still going to invite them.”

Hazzan, however, apologised to them, just as he further explained that, the committee was not going to witchunt any one of them, rather out to correct any anomalies they identify in the process scrutinising the land matter.

“The committee is not here or set up to witchunt anybody. But to correct things, and am equally informing you that, the committee’s invitation was a resolution of the House. We could not get your contact that is why you didn’t get letters, but if that hurts you we apologise to you,” he told those the committee grilled.

However, in the course of interrogation, the committee pointed out that the activities involving the lands acquisition were illegal, while the invitees in their own submission posited that government is continuum and if any loopholes were found, the present government should correct the anomalies.

Similarly, the committee during the exercise identified that in the process of the land allocation and acquisition, many of the beneficiaries did not apply, while others got allocations before application. Also, there was no release warrant from appropriate quarters.

“If an error is discovered, there should dialogue, with concessionaire. There is no finality in concession; nobody is perfect, only God is perfect. There is nothing we did that the Ministry of Justice was not aware. For example, Olumo Rock was not concessioned, but on management contract basis.”

By Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta