27th October, 2011
Ogun State Lands Commission of Inquiry held its second public sitting this evening with a summon on the former Director –General of Lands and Survey, Surveyor Gbenga Ogunnoiki to appear before it next Tuesday in respect of the N6 million bribe allegedly collected from a complainant, Mr. Gabriel Ikenwe, over a botched land deal.
Also to appear before the Panel along with Ogunnoiki for questioning over the allege bribe is Pastor Femi Orekoya of the Lands Ratification department.
Justice Akinyemi said it was quite important and in the spirit of fairness, that Ogunnoiki and Orekoya appear before the 5-man panel to enable them have the opportunity to explain their own side of the N6 million controversy.
Mr Ikenwe, who is the Managing Director of Input Limited, had, while giving oral evidence to support his petition to the panel against Ogunnoiki, claimed to have bought a parcel of land along Ogun State stretch of the Lagos – Ibadan expressway, but has been unable to take full possession of it.
He said the land which was purchased in June, 2010, happened to fall within the Global Acquisition of the State Government and upon approaching Ogunnoiki, he was advised to pay a fee so that a ratification exercise could be carried out on the land on his behalf and he obliged them.
According to him, Ogunnoiki collected N6 million from him instead of the official rate N1.5 million while the
ratification of the land was carried out by Land Ratification department led by Pastor Femi Orekoya.
He noted that he was not that bothered that the former Director–General of Lands and Survey in the administration of the former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel collected N6 million from him, but concerned that after paying so much, another person now occupies the said parcel of land.
Ogunnoiki was amongf the eight aides of the former governor of the state, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, that were drilled on Monday at the Ogun State House of Assembly over illegal acquisition of lands.
By Abiodun Onafuye/Abeokuta