Oyo APC Cautions Makinde Against Demolition Of Residents’ Properties

Oyo State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Governor Seyi Makinde to order an immediate stoppage to demolition of properties belonging to the citizens in some parts of Ibadan, the state capital.

The leading opposition party in the State said, only this can forestall the imminent revolt against Makinde’s government by the victims of the demolition and other residents.

Some residents whose structures have either been demolished or marked for demolition for falling within the 500metres earmarked for both sides of the stretch of the 110km Ibadan Circular Road Project have been critical of the Makinde-led administration.

In a statement on Thursday in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, APC faulted the defense by the administration as justification for the encroachment on some federal government facilities and properties in Ibadan and Saki.

“The lamentations coming from the victims of the ongoing demolition of citizens’ properties along the road stretch anticipated for the Ibadan Circular Road Project are so deafening that no sensitive government should ignore. Property owners express their frustrations everywhere around Ibadan and on social media as lives are being lost on account of disappointment and shock Gov. Makinde seems not bothered or concerned.

“To make the matter worse, the state government has not been able to convince the whole world on why it must render several thousands of families homeless just because a 110km road project is to be delivered. Questions have asked regarding what the governor planned to do with the over 500,000 plots of land being forcefully taken from the rightful owners majority of whom are poor citizens but there are no answers coming from the government.

“Now that the citizens are being pushed to the wall, it is natural that people would consider the self help option. The signals are so loud that mammoth crowd of victims should be taken for granted again. We do not want any crisis in our dear state and this is why we are appealing to Gov. Makinde to reduce the set back or corridor on the road to 100metres as against the 500metres (on both sides) being implemented.

“In case of any protest, Gov. Makinde should know that beleaguered residents with bottled up anger against his administration would join hands and the results might be pleasant,” Sadare said.

He added that apart from individuals whose lands have allegedly been grabbed by the agents of the state government in the last six years, “we have traders and business across major markets, in Ibadan, who have been shortchanged in one or the other and this set of people would want to take full advantage of the situation.

“Therefore, Gov. Makinde must act fast and address the issue immediately,” APC said.