Following the demolition of her five-storey plaza, Mrs Olufunke Daniel, the wife of ex-Ogun Governor, Sen. Gbenga Daniel, has blasted Gov. Dapo Abiodun for the reckless, lawless and irresponsible act.
Persecondnews reported on Sunday that the state government demolished the five-storey DATKEM plaza in Ijebu-Ode, which has generated outrage and tension in the town amid a worsening feud between Abiodun and Daniel in the aftermath of the March 11, 2023 governorship poll.
Daniel had reportedly supported PDP governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, Abiodun’s kinsman in the election.
Videos and images of the building’s destruction have gone viral on social media.
Daniel (a.k.a OGD), who represents Ogun East in the Senate, visited the site to assess the extent of damage, however, did not speak to journalists.
A large crowd of his supporters both young and old had thronged the scene amid shouts of OGD, OGD, and chanting anti-government slogans.
Speaking on the development, the former first lady condemned the act as “executive recklessness, lawlessness, and irresponsibility.”
Mrs Daniel, speaking through her lawyer, criticized the governor for the illegality, saying the losses are “unimaginable and huge”.
In a statement signed by Mr. Adeyinka Kotoye of PAGE Law Office, the legal firm revealed that the government ignored court papers served on its agents to halt actions on the building.
Kotoye, S.A.N of PAGE Law Office, the legal firm said the government ignored court papers “served on its agents on Thursday, September 7 asking them to stop all actions on the building.”
“I want to believe that the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, was not informed of this illegality. But if he was informed and still decided to use the instruments of the State against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness. But, we will continue to fight for justice and ensure that our clients.
“This matter began when the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority scaled the building on August 1 without any prior notice. Interestingly, a quit notice was only served on August 31 by the same Planning and Development Authority asking the owner to vacate the premises within three days.
“Meanwhile, Datkem has applied for unsealing and regularization of the building on August 2 and paid the mandatory fee of N500, 000 to the Ogun State government. We have evidence of this payment.
“However, we were shocked and astonished that the Ogun State government ignored the ongoing legal process and went ahead to demolish the complex in the early hours of Sunday. We want to believe the State Attorney General’s advice was ignored on this matter.
“Our clients, as law-abiding citizens of Ogun State, will continue to seek redress in the courts. Even when our clients have suffered unimaginable and huge losses as a result of this illegal demolition, we will not relent in pursuing justice in the courts,” it said.
The Project Manager and Developer, Engr. Olusegun Lawal, has confirmed the demolition was ordered by the state government, citing reasons of “not enough parking space, inadequate muster point, and inadequate airspace.”
Leave a comment