Makinde Urged to Caution Omotoso, Housing Boss Over Land Grabbing

By Tunde Opalana

Oyo State governor, Engr Seyi Makinde has been urged to investigate several land grabbing allegations against the Chairman of the state’s Housing Corporation, Mr. Demola Omotoso.

Omotoso was accused of acting without regard to the rule of law in Oyo State as several petitions have been written against him to law enforcement agents and the Oyo State House of Assembly on multiple land grabbing activities across the state which could tarnish hard earned image and reputation of Makinde as the people’s governor.

A petitioner, Mr Rasaq Folohunsho accused the Housing Corporation chairman of hiding under his political appointment to penetrate the unlawful act against the law of the land.

He alleged that since his appointment as the Chairman of Oyo State Housing Corporation there several petitions against Omotoso for dropping Governor Makinde’s name in taking over people’s landed properties to build shopping complex.

“He is fond of re- allocating peoples personal lands to some investors he brought with building plan to construct shopping complexes on the guise that those lands to belong to Oyo state Housing Corporation.

“There is a particular land along ife- ibadan expressway opposite Gbagi market, a Federal road setback which has been allocated by the Federal Ministry of Land to certain individuals to beautify that axis with modern landscaped container–shopping complex which was recently grabbed by Demola Omotoso.

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“He went there and illegally removed all the properties that belongs to the owners ( 10 shipping containers) and has started building shopping complex on the said land claiming the Governor gave him the order to do so.

“A further investigation reveals that the project is actually his personal project as the Corporation has denied having any official project going on at that axis and that the Corporation sometimes ago applied to the Federal Ministry of Land for allocation of the particular land but was told it has already been allocated to certain individuals.

“He is embarking on this construction spree with active connivance with one retired Director of fisheries Alh Asimiyu Kolawole Rasaq, who’s believed to be the sole sponsor and funding of the construction on the pretext that project belong Oyo State Government.

“This man is not fit to hold such an esteemed office and as a matter of fact should not be part of Oyo State government officials as he is quite a complete opposite of the policies of Gov. Seyi Makinde,” said Folohunsho.