Ibeju-lekki Chairman, Honourable Olorunkemi Surakatu, Baale, In Land Grabbing Mess
…Family Members Alleged them of Impunity and abuse of office
Corruption they say is one of the obstacle preventing Nigeria from achieving its enormous potential.
While
the government is busy fighting the politicians and other arms of
government to desist from corrupt act, some individuals are still busy
conniving in perpetrating the act.
Meanwhile,
land grabbing by local elites has been ignored by the government while
the onslaught of land dispossession is becoming an incessant crisis.
Another
family in this same land grabbing mess is the Oju-Ile Family tree from
Bolorunpe town in Ibeju-Lekki who have been accusing the chairman of
Ibeju-lekki, Honourable Kemi Surakatu of impunity and continuous
dictatorial attitude.
Honourable Olorunkemi
Surakatu who is also a member of the family allegedly connived with
estate agents using his position as the local government chairman to
sell the family landed properties without the consent of other family
members.
This illicit
act has been causing a lot of unrest within the family as some of the
family members have started receiving letters, text messages from
unknown contacts threatening them to stay clear of the said properties.
The
family member which consist of four branches includes; Ogunbose family,
Sango family, Fowoke family and Ooja family have been visiting court
over their vast hectares of land but all effort to get court injunction
prove abortive.
Hon. Olorunkemi Surakat who is
from Sango family is the one allegedly terrorising, imposing and
dictating everything in the family.
A
brief chat with the family Secretary, Oludaisi Rasak, claimed the
Oju-Ile family have been experiencing some level of impunity over the
family lands ever since Honourable Olorunkemi Surakatu assumed office of
the chairman of Ibeju-lekki Local Government using his position to
intimidate, impose and harassing family members.
In
his words, he said “We are here at Okerekere at Bolounpelu Village
where we discover people clearing the family land without the knowledge
of the whole family members. And that is why we are here to know the
truth about who is behind it. With me here are some of the family elders
who can attest to the fact that, we did not sign any document to sell
or clearing purpose.”
Talking about the landmarks,
he said “This land we’re talking about is over six hundred hectares of
land and out of it, Assets Resources Management (ARM) is claiming part
of the land. They said, the land belongs to them. So, we had to take
them to court to know how they acquire the land. And we’ve been in court
since 2016. But to our surprise, we discovered that some people are
still clearing in the name of ARM and also in the name of Landwey. And
the truth is that, the family never signed any agreement with these two
companies. I am the Secretary of the family and I’ve never sign any
agreement with anyone”
Buttressing
his claim, he also said “After the court hearing in 2016, court advice
we settle the matter amicably with ARM. So we now decided to go into
agreement for settlement but the agreement for settlement have not come
yet.”
“While we are still waiting for the
agreement of settlement, Shakiru Salami Baale of Bolorunpelu who was
forcefully impose as Baale of the community by honourable Kemi Surakatu
connived with some people to start selling the family lands saying that
nobody can challenge his authority that whatever he says and do is
final.”
On whether the
land was initially shared among the family, but he said “Not at all. The
land has not been shared. All we had in mind is to come to the land,
and share per plot or half among ourselves and build to establish a
larger community. What astonished the entire family was that, after our
investigation, it was revealed to us that, the Baale, Shakiru Salami is
deeply involved in this because we don’t know Landwey, only ARM and
some village association that the government made were in court with us,
so we never new anything about Landwey.”
In 2010
the court ordered that Bolorunpelu land should be shared amongst the
four branches of Oju-ile family, but it appears that some persons who
have allegedly connived with the Hon. Kemi Surakat are dancing to his
tunes and beats of the music for self interest.
However,
a petition has been written to the IG against the chairman for
threatening to kill Mr. Oluwadaisi Rasak (the family secretary) while
the family appealed to the government to come to their aid over an
alleged ploy to intimidate them from their legitimate family land.
All effort to get the chairman reaction, prove abortive as the number keep ringing without response as at the press time.
Attached below is the petitions file against the chairman.