The Lagos State Government and stakeholders in the Magodo Shangisha dispute, rose from a strategic meeting on Wednesday with a resolve to immediately settle all the 549 judgment creditors in the dispute which has dragged on since 2012.
They are to be allocated land where available in Magodo/Shangisha and where such are not available, are to be provided with alternative plots of land.
At the meeting which held in the governor’s office, the parties also resolved to set up a committee to be chaired by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Mr Moyosore Onigbanjo, to immediately look into executing the Supreme Court judgment and ensure that all available land is allocated to the concerned parties.
Other members of the committee are the Surveyor General of Lagos State, the Permanent Secretary Lands Bureau, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development. They are to “immediately identify available plots of land within the Shangisha Village Scheme and how the lands could be accessed, whether infrastructure needed to be provided to access such and how such could be immediately allocated to the judgment creditors.
The meeting which was chaired by the state Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu with the judgment creditors (Shangisha Landlords Association), their lawyers Commissioner of Police Lagos State Command, Policemen from the FCT Command and Police Headquarters, the Executive and Trustees of the Magodo Residents Association and senior government officials.
Sunrise News reported that the meeting was at the instance of the state governor, who after meeting with the residents on Tuesday, had called for a stay of execution of the judgment, of the Supreme Court delivered on the 10th of February 2012 in suit no. SC/112/2002 and requested that all parties to the matter meet with senior government officials at the State House.
The following resolutions were arrived at:
1. That the Committee set up by the State Government to resolve the Magodo dispute, chaired by the Hon. Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, is to meet with the Judgment Creditors (Shangisha Landlords’ Association) on Friday 7th of January 2022.
2. The Surveyor- General of Lagos State, Permanent Secretary Lands Bureau and Hon. Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development are to immediately identify available plots of land within the Shangisha village scheme.
3. The Committee is also to identify how the available plots of land are to be accessed and whether any infrastructural development is necessary to access the land.
4. Upon identification of available and accessible land, the State Government is to immediately allocate the land to the 549 Judgment Creditors.
5. In the event that there is no available and accessible land within the Shangisha village scheme to allocate to all the 549 Judgment Creditors, the State Government, in agreement with the Judgment Creditors, will provide alternative plots of land.
6. Whilst this exercise is ongoing, the Nigeria Police are to restrain themselves from any conduct or action that may instigate violence or breakdown of law and order in Magodo. They should be keepers of peace and act within the confines of the law – always. All the parties have agreed to an amicable resolution of the matter.
7. The meeting ended with Mr. Governor thanking all for attending and restating his resolve to ensure that peace returns to Magodo and that there is justice for all. 8. . The attendees praised the Governor for showing “good leadership”, which they said prevented violence in the estate. Besides, they expressed confidence in the Governor’s ability and sincerity to resolve the matter,