Controversy Trails Demolition of Gbenga Daniel wife’s plaza in Ijebu Ode
…. They came with thugs, police at night, says aide
… Building violated Ogun laws –Govt
…Ogun safer under Buhari than Tinubu? asks Segun Sowunmi
By Aremu Sosanya
Controversy have begun to trail the demolition of DATKEM Plaza, a property owned by Yeye Olufunke Daniel, wife of former Ogun State governor, Gbenga Daniel in the Ijebu Ode area of the state.
Salient Times report that although the state government said the five-storey building, was illegally situated and that it contravened the state’s physical planning laws, the former governor’s wife disagreed, and described the partial demolition by the government as “executive recklessness and irresponsibility”.
It was reported that the five-storey building was partially demolished in the early hours of Sunday.
Clips and pictures showing destruction on the structure were circulated across social media platforms in the state, generating outrage and concerns among the residents and the political class.
‘Partial Demolition, A Proactive Measure’
The state government, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olayiwola Abiodun, said the structure violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects.
He said several efforts made by the state government to halt further development on site were ignored by the developers.
The permanent secretary said government officials requested the structural engineer in charge of the building to avail the state of the structural equilibrium of the building, a request that was ignored.
According to the permanent secretary, what the government did in partially pulling down the defective building was to be proactive.
He challenged the owners of the structure to produce evidence of government approval in their possession.
The permanent secretary added that the building lacked stage certification, which is usually issued at every stage of construction.
He said that owners were served the necessary notices, including abatement, contravention, stop work and demolition between May and October 2022, which were ignored.
‘Executive Recklessness’
Meanwhile, the former First Lady through her lawyer slammed Governor Dapo Abiodun over what she called ‘illegality,’ saying she suffered “unimaginable and huge losses” due to the demolition.
In a statement signed by a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Adeyinka Kotoye, of PAGE Law Office, the legal firm said the government ignored court papers “served on its agents on Thursday, September 7 asking them to stop all actions on the building”.
“I want to believe that the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, was not informed of this illegality. But if he was informed and still decided to use the instruments of the State against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness. But we will continue to fight for justice and ensure that our clients,” the firm said.
The firm also explained that “This matter began when the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority scaled the building on August 1 without any prior notice. Interestingly, a quit notice was only served on August 31 by the same Planning and Development Authority asking the owner to vacate the premises within three days.
“Meanwhile, Datkem applied for unsealing and regularization of the building on August 2 and paid the mandatory fee of N500,000 to the Ogun State government. We have evidence of this payment.
“However, we were shocked and astonished that the Ogun State government ignored the ongoing legal process and went ahead to demolish the complex in the early hours of Sunday. We want to believe the State Attorney General’s advice was ignored on this matter.
“Our clients, law-abiding citizens of Ogun State, will continue to seek redress in the courts. Even when our clients have suffered unimaginable and huge losses as a result of this illegal demolition, we will not relent in pursuing justice in the courts.”
Demolition: ‘Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun’ – Segun Sowunmi Writes Tinubu
A former governorship aspirant under the banner of Peoples Democratic Party, in the 2023 general elections, Chief Segun Sowunmi on Sunday said residents of Ogun State were better off during the administration of the former President Muhammad Buhari.
Sowunmi, a former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar Presidential Campaign Organisation, in an open letter he wrote to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday, said Ogun seems to feel safer under President Buhari, a Daura man and unsafe under Tinubu, a Yoruba man.
Sowunmi who was reacting to the demolition of DATKEM Plaza, a property owned by Olufunke Daniel, the wife of former governor now senator, Gbenga Daniel on Sunday by the Ogun State government said the action of the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun is unbecoming.
Reacting to the demolition, Segun Sowunmi who is also a PDP national Chairmanship assistant wrote an open letter to President Tinubu, reporting Governor Abiodun to him.
In the open letter, Sowunmi said the body language of President Tinubu seems to be in support of actions Prince Dapo Abiodun has taken in Ogun State.
He wrote, “If no one will tell you, I will, Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun State. ”
“What type of gangsterism do we call this? President Bola Tinubu you are enabling Gov Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State, We keep reporting him but what we see is that the more we report him, the more you pamper him with access to you, It was funny how he made the trip to India coming on the hills of the allegation of a chairman of local government around interference with local government funds.
“Will Ogun now feel safer under President Buhari, a Daura man and unsafe under a Yoruba man, If no one will tell you, I will, Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun State.
“Dapo Abiodun got his thugs to attack me in the premises of a court, and then he shamefully removed Wale Adedayo based on a serious allegation of diversion of local government funds, now a sitting Senator has to deal with this?
“President Bola Tinubu is this the type of thing you stand for, or am I dreaming?
“The likes of Dapo Abiodun who are profiting from a democratic struggle that took so many lives cannot be allowed to rubbish what is ideal behaviour and conduct in democracy.
“Mr. President in our Yoruba language Dundu Dapo Abiodun nlata Ju. (Dapo Abiodun’s actions are getting extremely overbearing).
“The powers and privileges of a governor cannot and should not be so total that a president will be unable to save the people.
Reacting, a senior aide to Governor Dapo Abiodun who pleads for anonymity said it’s unfortunate that Segun Sowunmi is supporting illegality.
“Though I am not a spokesperson for Mr President, If Sowunmi is reacting to what happened in Ijebu Ode today, then it’s very unfortunate that he will be supporting illegality.
“It’s not Prince Dapo Abiodun that did the demolition nor was he that ordered its demolition, the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning has been on this for so many years. Do we then sit down and allow what happened in Ikorodu and other areas like that to happen in Ogun State before action is taken?
“The law is no respecter of anybody, the lives of every resident of this State are very precious to the government, so the action by the Ministry is to forestall any calamity.
“So we are unperturbed with what Sowunmi is saying or writing, what is paramount is for the government to serve its people it diligence and utmost sincerity.
