15th April, 2014
The use of soldiers to stall housing projects in Lagos State is a dangerous development that could undermine our democracy and the earlier those involved are called to order, the better it is for the peace and tranquility that has prevailed in Lagos State for some time now. A few days ago, the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, raised the alarm over an alleged attempt to frustrate his housing projects by the Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro.
By using soldiers to stall the projects, according to the governor, it was a case of forceful occupation of the land meant for housing estates. The parcels of land, which are currently being developed by the government into housing estates for the Lagos Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme, HOMS, are located at Oyingbo in Ebute Metta and Ilubirin Housing Estate.
Fashola said work was stopped temporarily on the parcels of land because the Federal Government sent soldiers to the site of the construction claiming that the land on which the structures are to be built is owned by it. He also said the documents handed over to the state government by the Federal Military Government through the former Federal Commissioner for Works showed that the land belongs to the state government.
Though Obanikoro has denied the allegation, saying he was passing through Ilubirin and became concerned about the development of the place and the safety of those who would take possession of the property, his explanation has been received with a pinch of salt. Going there with soldiers was uncalled for. And why was he silent about the alleged deployment of soldiers to halt the development of other parcels of land in the state?
If our democracy should flourish the way it is in some developed countries, then political office holders should learn to avoid acts that could torpedo it.
In the case of Lagos, there has been subtle battle between the state and the Federal Government and most people believe it has to do with politics. If not, one can hardly find a federal project in the state, yet instead of supporting the state to achieve success, the Federal Government is frustrating the state government in the latter’s effort to meet the yearnings of the people. This bitter rivalry and competitive jealousy will not augur well for the development of a state which is the economic nerve centre of the country. If anything, the Federal Government should accord Lagos a special status and give the state all the support it requires to keep the state, which is the Federal Government’s nest egg, running.
What Obanikoro is accused of doing is similar to what Adeseye Ogunlewe did when he was the Works Minister during the Olusegun Obasanjo administration. Ogunlewe used his FERMA thugs to cause trouble in Lagos by constantly clashing unnecessarily with officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority. We expect that Obanikoro and other political leaders in the state should for once eschew politics of bitter rivalry to achieve a common goal for the residents of the state.