Land grabbing: Mosque vicinity residents seek Gov Ododo’s intervention
Omeiza Bilal
The residents living around Egbira central mosque Okene have called on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo to call the Director General of Government House, Alh Ahmed Tijani Mohammed Anaje, Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Alh. Shaibu Oricha and Alhaji AbdulKudus saying they are using the name of his administration to carry out land grabbing activities in Okene.
In a marathon meetings held in the palace, of His Royal Highness, Ahmed Tijani Mohammed Anaje, the Ohinoyi who told the residents how the government of Kogi state is planning to take over properties around the Mosque for the expansion of the Central mosque said, the delegations would come to brief them about the development.
In the meeting, Deputy Chief Imam of the Central Mosque, Alh Oricha, said there was no room for residents to reject the proposal as the government is capable of removing all residents forcefully.
One of the residents members, Momohjimoh Suleiman, said, some of the houses close to the mosque were older than the mosque, saying “some of their parents donated part of their land to the mosque, including Alhaji Adamu Attah, the former governor of Kwara state who equally donated the land belonging to his mother to the mosque when there was need for an expansion.”
He said there has not been any official communication to the families from the state government as they kept telling them that the government is going to evict everybody from the place.
Momohjimoh said, “If government is interested in taking over a property belonging to an individual, a round table discussion is involved, using verbal channel as means of communication to the residents suggest land grabbing method according to him.”
The Chairman of the residents association, AbdulKareem Sadiq equally confirmed the development appealing to the “Governor, His Excellency Ahmed Usman Ododo to call them to order” noting “that their actions are capable of destroying the good image of the administration.”
