The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, has assured the residents of Magodo and other stakeholders of an amicable settlement of the land dispute by the Lagos State Government.
Speaking on This Morning programme on TVC, the Commissioner said the recent visit of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to the Estate resulted in a meeting of all parties to the dispute and the resolution that a committee, headed by the Attorney-General, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo, SAN, should find a lasting solution to the protracted crisis.
“The Committee also has other members, such as the State Surveyor-General, Permanent Secretary of Lands Bureau and Commissioner for The Environment. They are expected to map out how to go about settling the Magodo dispute and report back to the Governor, who has shown sincerity in resolving the matter,” he said.
Replying to question on the “defiance” of a police officer to Mr. Governor’s directive, the Commissioner said the Government was taking it up with the Inspector–General of Police, just as he condemned the reluctance of the police to leave the area.
According to him, South West Governors’ Forum, Civil Society Organisations and well-meaning Nigerians have condemned the act.
Omotoso also spoke on land grabbing, saying that a committee has been set up by the State Government to look into such matters and resolve them amicably.
On the submission of a report on the collapsed building at Ikoyi, the Commissioner said that the State Government was committed to implementing the recommendations to safeguard the multi-billion Naira property sector.
His words: “The report provides deep insight into why buildings go down suddenly, however Mr. Governor has promised again that such a situation that led to the unfortunate incident and subsequent loss of lives will not happen again. The administration is assuring Lagosians that the report will be made public while the conduct of DNA tests has been concluded for identification of bodies”.
Making a remark on the death of Sylvester Oromoni, the 12-year-old student of Dowen College, the State’s spokesperson expressed his grief over the death and assured the citizenry that the Government will ensure that justice is appropriately served.
On traffic, the Commissioner said it is not as bad as some other parts of the world, even as the battle for improvement continues. In his view, “there is need for orientation of Lagos motorists even though traffic improvement projects have helped to reduce traffic drastically”. He cited projects executed to improve traffic flow at Allen Roundabout, Lekki, Maryland and Ikotun, among others.
“Government is doing a lot and citizens need to play their roles. There is no gain without pain. I implore Lagosians to be patient as Government is trying to maximise the limited time it has to complete the many road projects ongoing before the rains”, he asserted.
Omotoso also reaffirmed that the Blue Line and Red Line Rail projects will be completed in the first quarter of next year as recently stated by Mr. Governor.
Expressing sadness on the recent fire at Oko-Baba plank market, which he described as a yearly occurrence, the Commissioner restated the determination of the Government to relocate the sawmill to a more conducive and purpose-built facility at Ketu-Ejinrin in the first quarter of year 2022.
