House summons erring state officials

• says illegal structures must give way

By Lanre Adesanya

The Lagos State House of Assembly on Tuesday summoned top officials at the Lagos State Land Bureau to appear before it on Nov. 14, over their disregard to calls made by its committee on a disputed land matter.

The Assembly summoned the Permanent Secretary, Mr Shuaheeb Agoro, the Executive Secretary, Mr Olukayode Ogunnubi and the Special Adviser  to the Governor on Lands, Mr

The lawmakers also wanted the affected officials to come and brief them on the disputed government property,

This invitation followed a report on a petition entitled Matter of Urgency by Iju Youth Action Committee over disputed land earmarked by the government for a post office and fire service station.

The reported, which was presented by Mr Olusola Sokunle, Chairman, House Committee on Special and Inter-government in Relation, said that the affected top officials were invited by the committee on several occasions to brief the committee on the petition but failed to appear.

Sokunle said that the investigation revealed that the said land had some structures such as filling station, churches, residential buildings and others on it.

According to Soluble, the surveyor who initiated the flying coordinates that occasioned the crisis should be indicted, having masterminded the embarrassing situation on the disputed landed property, upon which government planned to put up a fire fighting station and post office.

The lawmakers, who took turns to condemn such act, added that it had become habitual to Ministry, Department and Agency on Land to disregard calls by the House.

The Assemblymen also blamed the ministry of Physical Planning and the Lagos State Building Control Agency for not being effective in the execution of their mandate.

Hon. Raseed Makinde Ifako/Ijaiye II urged the government to ensure it put signposts in all acquired lands, adding those who tresspassed should be sanctioned.

The Majority Leader, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade called on the Lands Bureau to take necessary step to return the land for the purpose it was originally intended.

The Speaker of the House, Mr Mudashiru Obasa affirmed that it has become an habitual character of the affected agency of government to have shunned calls by the House countless number of times.

Obasa, who stepped down the recommendations of the committee for proper fine tuning, directed the Acting Clerk of the House, Mr Sanni Azeez to invite the affected officials to appear before the House on the adjourned date Thursday Nov.10.