When 200 subscribers were given allocation papers to a large expanse of land, covering FESTAC’s First and Third Gate on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area of Lagos State by the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) in 1993, their joy knew no bound, as they see the allocation as an opportunity to invest in lucrative properties along the axis. Okwy Iroegbu-Chikezie reports that they 28 years after, they are yet to get their land.
Twenty-eight years after, the allottees are yet to take possession of their land not to talk of realising their dreams for no fault of theirs.
Rather, another set of people ranging from mechanics to traders, auto dealers and plank sellers, took over the land illegally and turned it to market places, makeshifts and homes for almost three decades while FHA’s management and the original allottees remained helpless.
The situation was further worsened by various litigations between the FESTAC Town Residents Association (FTRA) and management of FHA over alleged infractions that negate the original master plan of the estate.
Past attempts by the authority to dislodge the illegal occupants were rebuffed with attacks on government’s officials, making the illegality to continue until recently when officials of FHA, in collaboration with the task force from the Lagos State Government, took the bull by the horns to implement the Consent Judgment it secured in 2005 and dislodged the squatters after several quit notices.
Expectedly, those affected by the FHA’s action have taken to the streets, protesting what they termed “unlawful’’ ejection, saying they were not given enough notices, adding that their stay was not without the knowledge of the Amuwo Odofin Local Government, who they claimed collect daily fee from them
However, for the original allottees of the land covering FESTAC’s First to Third Gate, their expectation was that FHA will take proactive measures by clearing the land and surveying it so that rightful owners could take possession of their land and develop.
“The summary of what we are saying is that the original owners of this land cannot wait any longer. The unfortunate aspect of it is that some of our members are even late due to frustration, due to the inability to take over what rightly belonged to them.
“Their land have been used over the years by illegal occupants. Ninety per cent of these people we are talking about are not even residents of FESTAC Town. There must be an end to these illegalities,” Chairman of First to Third Gate Allottees, Mr. Kole Olatunji, explained to The Nation.
Narrating what transpired in the past during the stakeholders’ meeting organised by FHA, comprising the FESTAC Town Residents Association, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, allottees group, residents and Nigerian Police Force recently, Olatunji maintained that the land between First gate to Third gate of FESTAC Town on the expressway was allocated between 1991 and 1993 to the allottees, having confirmed that the land was meant to be a future development area.
He said: “That was why the majority of us acquired the land from FHA. But not long after the acquisition of the land, with the sincerehope of putting up structures that could serve as a major source of revenue to some of us.The transaction was bungled because of the court case instituted by the Festac Town Residents’ Association (FTRA) in 1993, that is 28 years ago.
“And, of course, as allottees, we could not just fold our arms, we decided to take appropriate actions by reaching out to the officials of FTRA under the leadership of Chief Jola Ogunnusi and the management of FHA.
“After a prolonged court litigations, we eventually resolved that there should be a Memorandum of Understanding among the allottees, FTRA and FHA, which eventually led to the Consent Judgment we have been talking about. And that was granted by Hon. Justice Y. A. Adesanya in November, 2005 – 16 years after.”
Olatunji added that the allottees saw the consent judgment as a ray of hope, believing that development was going to take off almost immediately, but it was not to be.
“I have made several trips to Abuja to meet with management of FHA with the sincere hope of executing the term of that Consent Judgment, which was not to be until the new Managing Director, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, was appointed. We met with him here and he gave the assurance that the management will look passionately into the case,” he said.
The allottees’ chairman expressed appreciation to God that after waiting for 30 years, they would finally be able to take over the land they paid for legitimately, saying he was a signatory to that judgment and that he signed on behalf of the “allottees, in conjuction with our lawyer, Olawale Orewale. Esq of O. Adekoya & Co’’.
Determined to rid FESTAC Town of illegal developments and various encroachments, the Managing Director, FHA, Senator Gbenga Ashafa, vowed to restore the lost glory of the estate in Lagos.
He said the authority is committed to sustain the efforts to return the lost glory of FESTAC Town
At the stakeholders’meeting in Lagos, Ashafa stated that the ongoing demolition of illegal structures in the estate was to give way for dredging of a canal and dislodging of illegal occupants.
He explained further that the measure was to ensure a proper survey in line with the FESTAC master-plan, to give possession to the real allottees.
According to him, the demolition of illegal structures was not done to target religious organisations or any group as was being speculated in the media.
He said the authority started the implementation of the second phase of the consent judgment, which was for clearing the illegal structures within the buffer zones along the Second Avenue as well as the expressway.
“The measure is to keep the mandate of restoring the lost glory of FESTAC. Several quit notices were served on the illegal occupants before the actual demolition was carried out last Sunday
“For those who think it is business as usual, we want to inform you that we will sustain this operation until the lost glory of FESTAC is restored; no amount of blackmail will stop us from achieving this goal,” Ashafa said.
He advised those on the Right of Way with valid approvals to bring their papers to FHA to take appropriate action.
Many of the stakeholders who spoke said lack of sustainable action in the past had worsened the environmental and security challenges in the community.
President, FESTAC Residents Town Assocition, Shola Fakorede, said if any group or stakeholder was aggrieved by the recent development, it should be the allotees, whose property had been encroached on for almost 30 years.
