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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Amosun, Daniel trade words over church land

ABEOKUTA – Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun and his predecessor, Gbenga Daniel, yesterday, traded words over the cancellation of Certificate of Occupancy, C of O, of the land on which Abraham Tabernacle, a church built by ex-governor Daniel in honour of his late father, Adebola Daniel by Amosun’s government. 

Otunba Daniel, disclosed that Amosun had officially notified him of the cancellation of his father’s church’s C of O, located in Oba Erinwole Avenue, Sagamu, GRA. 

On Friday, February 10, the government was said to have sent its officials and fully armed policemen who invaded the church premises and with the aid of a bulldozer demolished the gatehouse, the security post and parts of the church’s fence. 

But, the government refuted the allegation, saying, it only demolished the ‘illegal fence to restore right of way on public roads’, which according to it had been planned with other infrastructure to serve the environment and adjoining areas. 

Daniel who spoke through a statement signed by his media aide, Adegbenro Adebanjo said: “Ibikunle Amosun, Governor of Ogun State, formally underscored his determination to demolish the Abrahams Tabernacle Church in Sagamu.” 

Amosun’s letter of cancellation, according to Daniel, read in part “In the exercise of my powers under section 1&26 of the Land Use Act, I hereby cancel the purported certificate of Occupancy N0 0033337 dated 14th may 2011 and registered as No 60 at page 60 in Volume 761 of the lands registry in the office at Abeokuta.  This letter serves as notice to you of the said cancellation.” 

Addressing newsmen at the governor’s office press centre, Oke-Mosan Abeokuta, the Special Adviser on lands to governor Amosun, Mrs. Ronke Sokefun said, the government did not demolish the church contrary to the media report, saying, it only demolished ‘the illegal fence to pave way for right of passage.’ 

Sokefun said the government was only acting on the recommendations of the judicial commission of inquiry on lands and white paper which recommended that ”all persons found to have held valid subsisting tittles in the said land prior to wrongful allocation made to the church should have their allocated lands restored. 

“The offending fence of the church which has fenced in land belonging to other persons such as Mr. M C Sowole, G.O.I Aduwo and O.J Olokun should be removed forthwith, so that the named persons can gain access to and possess their plots and right of way on public roads could be restored. 

“However, because of its nature as place of worship, the government grants the congregation and the Trustees of the church, the waiver to keep only the actual portion of the land occupied by the church. 

“It further directs that, the government surveyors should determine, establish and carve out the portions of land belonging to other people but fenced in within the current perimeter walls of the church.  The portion should be promptly returned to their respective owners.” 

Sokefun however hinted that, the owner of the land would be compensated if any of the portion of the land falls within the actual portion occupied by the church.