The Lekki Coastal Community Youth Forum, a group of 12 communities in Ibeju Lekki Area of Lagos whose ancestral land was acquired for Lekki Free Trade Zone project has warned that youths in the area won’t hesitate to disrupt activities in the Free Trade Zone if the Lagos State Government fails to implement the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU signed with the affected communities.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday at Tiye Village, Ibeju Lekki , the Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Salami Yusuf Adesunkanmi said attempts by powerful politicians serving in the cabinet of Babajide Sanwo-Olu to subvert and compromise the interests of the affected communities through alleged plan to impose who will not adequate protect their interest in the Resettlement Committee set up by the government.
The forum insisted it was absurd for government to attempt to dictate those who should represent the 12 affected communities in the resettlement committee.
The twelve communities comprising the youth group are namely: Tiye, Imobido, Ilege, Idasho, Lekuru, Magbon Segun, Okesegun, Itoke, Idotun, Ileko-Alasia, Okunraye and Olomowewe. They are customary owners of the land where the Lekki Free Trade Zone is presently situated”.
The group recalled that, “In the year 2006, Lagos State Government came with the idea of Free Trade Zoneand entered into discussions with the communities. Precisely, on 27th March, 2007 the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was executed between Lagos State Government, the Ibeju Lekki Local Government Council, the Lekki Worldwide Investment Limited and the representatives of the ancestral communities.
According to Paragraph 8 (A) of the MoU: “The affected villages and communities shall jointly constitute the Lekki Coastal Area Association (LCAA), upon which registration: the LCAA shall hold the minimum fully paid up equity/shareholding of 2.5% in the holdings of the LWIL, on behalf of the affected villages and communities. Pursuant to its regulations, the LCAA shall represent the interests of the members of the affected villages and communities with regards to the terms stated in this MoU”
“As mandated by the MoU, the Corporate Affairs Commission subsequently registered the Association as Lekki Coastal Area Development Association with a Board of Trustees comprising of one representative of each of the member communities of the Association. In turn, the Board of Trustees is directly accountable to the members of the communities and their traditional structures of organization.
“The MoU was executed as, and remains a binding legal agreement between theparties in mutual exchange for the rights and benefits”.
The group lamented that the Lagos State government has continued to flagrantly disobey the MoU.
It said, “While it was stated in the MoU Paragraph 4t that “The Lagos State Government undertakes to grant Certificates of Occupancy covering plots of the Seven hundred and fifty (750) hectares of unencumbered land in favor of members of the affected villages and communities”.
“At the point of implementation of that obligation by Lagos State Government, the government gave 375 (three hundred and seventy five) hectares instead of 750 (seven hundred and fifty) hectares.
“The land which was located in another set of three communities: Oshoroko, Origanrigan and Lekki. These three communities sold the lands illegally and made it practically impossible for Lekki Coastal communities to access the land, yet Government did nothing.
“In 2016, when the present regime of Lekki Coastal trustees took possession of the land, it was discovered that about 318 hectares of the total 375 hectares had been sold. Series of letters were written to Government to intervene and give Lekki Coastal communities the unencumbered land as contained in the MoU.
Lagos State Government did not do anything. This led to series of conflict between Lekki Coastal communities on one hand and the illegal sellers and buyers on the other hand. This also took Lekki Coastal to police stations and courts yet, Lagos State Government did not do anything”.
The forum said for the sake of peace, the communities accepted offers from those who bought land from grabbers to get their lands ratified at ridiculous below market value price.
“At a point, some of the buyers now offered to pay for ratification to the communities which the communities accepted for the sake of peace. The proceeds from the ratification done by the Lekki Coastal Committee were shared into the communities for the benefit of everybody.
As beneficial owners, Lekki Coastal communities retain full liberty to deal, transact, ratify or alienate any or all portions of its lands on behalf and for the benefits of its constituent communities as established under the MoU”, the group said.
It continued, “It is therefore surprising to us as youths of these communities to hear the attempt being made by Government to cancel or rubbish all ratification in order to put the communities in problem over transaction done over the land that legitimately belongs to them. There is no smoke without fire says an adage and in more explicit terms, it is pertinent to state clearly that there are some confusionists fanning the conflict underground. By virtue of being in cabinet of the Lagos State
“Government, their divisive antics are such that contravenes the law.These powerful indigenes from the area where the resettlement/compensation land is situated (Origanrigan, Oshoroko and Lekki) are the brains behind peddling falsehood and confusion.
“Then told their people in Origanrigun, Oshoroko and Lekki that their land was not acquired by Lagos State Government and therefore the existence of Lekki Coastal Area Development Association is illegal. Unfortunately, this unfounded allegation against Lekki Coastal Development Association as the illegal owners of the land in question led to series of litigation and full blown conflict.
“In a bid to solve the crises, the Governor invited Lekki Coastal Area Development Association executives and community representatives for a briefing which was convincingly honored on June 8th 2020. Having explained every proactive step to sue for peace by Lekki Coastal Area Development Association, the Governor thereby directed the communities involved and Lekki Coastal Area Development Association to hold on all activities on the land.
“ He, the Governor also sent the Surveyor General and other officials from Lands Bureau to come for land auditing. In a brazen disregard for constituted authority, and in spite of the Governor’s directives, these people have been encouraging all sorts of illegalities on the land since then.
“Prominent among those who have disregarded the Governor’s directive is Mr. Dele Ajayi, Special Adviser to the Governor for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives. The S.A., as we speak is constructing a storey building on the said land and it is worthy to state categorically that some lands Bureau officials and the Surveyor General witnessed the illegality stated above.
“In light of the above, it is therefore obvious that our listening and peace loving Governor, His Excellency Babajide Sanwo-olu is not being briefed with the truth and facts regarding the disputed land by these confusionists and power drunk officials.
“It should be clearly stated that the land under discussion is not meant for relocation of the communities. It is stated in the MoU that the communities shall not be displaced from their homes and lands. In a case where three communities namely; Idotun, Itoke and Okunraye may be relocated for the purpose of seaport, a fresh and additional 170 hectares of land shall be provided where houses shall be constructed by the Lagos State Government”.
