The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) , Ogun Chapter, has raised alarm over the encroachment of the union’s land, proposed for its permanent site, by suspected land grabbers.
Mr Wale Olanrewaju, the State Chairman, disclosed this at a news conference held at the state secretariat in Abeokuta on Wednesday.
Olanrewaju, explained that the site situated behind Providence Hotel in Abeokuta had been encroached on by unscrupulous land speculators taking advantage of the land laying fallow over the years.
The chairman noted that the fraudulent act was allegedly orchestrated by one Gbenga Olusoga who brazenly bragged of his connection in high places in connivance with one Lekan Banjoko .
He added that these people had no connection to the land and the area but going about feeding fat on vacant lands in connivance with his cohorts in government relevant agencies.
Olusoga, in flagrant disregard to NUJ ownership of the land, rented out land to mechanics, panel beaters and the rest, collecting money from them.
” For the records, the said land has a genuine Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) openly and proudly presented by Olusegun Osoba, former Governor of Ogun state to the council while in office,” he said.
Olanrewaju also raised the alarm that the current space popularly called “Iwe Irohin” christened after the first newspaper publication in Nigeria by Rev. Henry Townsend was currently under siege by some greedy individuals.
He alleged that retired and serving staff of the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing were planning to sell the property.
“Some years ago, the space allocated in honour of journalists and the progenitor of journalism, Rev. Henry Townsend since 1992, was put up for sale by one Surveyor Bajo who retired from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing,” he alleged.
” The council therefore called on the state governor, and other relevant authorities to stop the incursion, trespassing and encroachment on its land.
“We call on the Federal Government to restrain those officers in the Ministry of Works and Housing to discontinue their unholy interest in our land,” he said,” he said.
