Iponri Community Wants Fashola To Revoke C of O

The Iponri community in Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, has appealed to Governor Raji Fashola to revoke the ownership rights granted a school proprietor over a communal land in the area.

In a press statement signed by the chairman, Alhaji Soliu Ogidiolu, the community claimed the C of O on the said land was allegedly fraudulently obtained by Mr. Innocent Nwanevu, the Proprietor of Godswish Nursery and Primary School of No. 38A Okelolu Street, Iponri, Lagos.

The statement continued: “The two plots of land on which his school is situated is the bone of contention. Going down memory lane, the land in question was actually owned by a member of the community before the Lagos State government decided to acquire the land in 1985 for public use and for the benefit of the community. The government promised to build Schools, Health Centre, Recreation Centre or Central Refuse House. On the basis of this promise, the community wholeheartedly agreed after appealing to the original owner who incidentally is still alive.

However, the government reneged in its promise by building only a refuse dump house on the land through LAWMA, which was later abandoned for many years and taken over by grown weeds.

“Ironically too, the place became an abode and a hiding place for hoodlums and people of questionable character terrorizing the community at will. It was at this point that Mr. Innocent Nwanevu contacted the community and begged for the use of the property as a school lesson centre of which the community promptly agreed since this will definitely dislodge the hoodlums.

The community also supported him when the government approved his outfit’s expansion to Nursery and Primary School in 2002. He was also permitted to extend to the adjacent land.

“Meanwhile the land was leased to him temporarily as he was paying some rent to the community. More so, in 2009 the community put up a small property on the same land as a Resource Centre when a kindhearted philanthropist donated a set of computers and a generator to the community.

However, to the surprise of everyone, Mr. Nwanevu changed his attitude and became uncooperative to the extent that he suddenly stopped payment of rents to the community.

“All the genuine efforts of the Baale (traditional ruler) and the general community to call him to order and rectify the situation proved abortive. Ironically, he did this in connivance with some unscrupulous and dubious members of the community who further assisted him in preparing a fake document purportedly written by the community.

“Mr. Nwanevu is aware of all these, being a member of the CDA himself but decided to just be mischievous with other collaborators like Alh. Abdu Gafar and Alhaji Ganiyu Babalola.

“Meanwhile, to add salt to injury and to the surprise of the community, it was reliably learnt that Mr. Nwanevu has illegally obtained a Certificate of Occupancy on the disputed land. The community was indeed highly baffled and greatly disappointed at this unholy development.

Therefore, consequent upon all these and as a peace-loving community, we demand instant justice from Lagos State government by revoking the C of O issued to Mr. Nwanevu which he got fraudulently and the land returned to the community.”

Speaking with our correspondent, Mr. Innocent  Nwanevu, the Proprietor of Godswish Nursery and Primary School of No. 38A Okelolu Street, Iponri, Lagos, said he stopped paying rent on the land when he realised that he has spent a lot of money and energy while trying to upgrade it and make it unattractive to hoodlums who had earlier turned it to their rendevous.

He added that what the community failed to realise is that he is doing them a great favour by taking over the land and upgraded it to an enviable status for their overall benefit as well.

When told that the community alleged he connived with some of their members to hijack the landed property by preparing for him the fake papers he used to fraudulently obtained a C of O at Alausa, he said it was because of his closeness to Alh. S. A. Ibrahim Jimba that made the community to say such, adding that the issue is a long story.

“In a situation like this, some people will be close to you while some will stay aloof. It is only the Baale and others that are not happy with me and we shall resolve it very soon. The land was abandoned for years and some hoodlums in the area took advantage of the situation to terrorise the community. They used to smoke weed as well as perform all forms of nefarious activities on the land.

“When I approached the community, they leased it out to me and I upgraded it. I turned it into a school and went to Alausa to get all the necessary papers for the place. It is true that I was paying rent on the land before, but you see my brother, I have spent so much on it. What they failed to also realise is that I’m doing them a favour by taking care of the place.

“We are trying to resolve the matter, it is just that we are yet to reach a compromise,” said Nwanevu.

—Jamiu  Yisa