Landlords and residents of Olu Ayodele Street in the Iloye Community, Sango-Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, have congratulated Governor Dapo Abiodun and his deputy, Engr.
Noimot Salako-Oyedele, on the celebration of Ogun State’s 50th anniversary, while appealing for urgent intervention in a lingering community dispute.
In a statement signed by a community leader, Comrade Segun Ajeigbe, the residents commended the governor and his deputy for their efforts in office over the past seven years and prayed for a successful completion of their tenure ahead of next year’s elections.
The community, however, used the occasion to draw attention to what it described as a 17-year-old problem affecting residents of Olu Ayodele Street.
According to Ajeigbe, the dispute dates back to 2009, when a landlord, Kabiru Badmus, allegedly constructed a mosque, identified as Fiwakesin Mosque, on a portion of the road, which residents say has obstructed traffic and effectively turned the street into a closed end.
“We have been crying out since 2009 over the act and have petitioned the governor and the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Tunji Odunlami, last year, but Mr. Kabiru Badmus has been boasting of being politically connected,” Ajeigbe said.
He added that officials reportedly visited the community last year and marked the structure for demolition, but no further action had been taken.
“Few months later, there has been no action, as has been the case since 2009. In fact, Mr. Badmus has rubbed off the ‘remove’ sign written on the mosque,” he alleged.
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The residents appealed to the state government to intervene urgently, particularly as the rainy season approaches, noting that flooding and property losses have become recurring challenges over the years.
“We hereby call on our amiable governor and his hardworking deputy, who is our daughter in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government and Awori land, to urgently intervene as we approach another rainy season to avoid the yearly loss of properties that we have experienced over the past 17 years,” the statement added.
Efforts to obtain a response from the Ogun State Government or the individual mentioned in the allegation were not immediately successful as of press time.