The government of Oyo State has approved the revocation of some plots of land located within the Agodi Government Reservation Area (GRA) and Jericho axis of Ibadan, the state capital.
The revocation order, which was dated February 10, 2020, indicated that the affected plots of land were revoked for overriding public interest and for the use of the State Government.
The revocation order read in part: “Notice is hereby given to members of the public that by virtue of powers conferred on the Executive Governor of Oyo State under the provisions of Section 28, of the Land Use Act, Cap LS, No. 18 of the Law of Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the under-listed plots of land located within the Agodi Government Reservation Area in Ibadan are hereby revoked by the Oyo State Government for overriding public interest absolutely and in particular for the use of the State Government.”
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Seyi Makinde, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, confirmed on Thursday that the affected parcels of land were equally revoked for alteration of Land Use.
“The affected parcels of land include Quarter 361 with adjoining Plots B and C, totalling 23,627sqm (about 48 plots); Quarters 371 and 372, totalling 9,875.002sqm; Plot 138 Magazine Road, Jericho, Ibadan with a total area of 2,990.638sqm; Block 1, Plot 1 and 2 Mammy Market, Agodi GRA, Ibadan; Block 2 Plot1, Agodi GRA; Block 2 Plot 2 and Block 3 Plot 3, also in Agodi GRA, Ibadan.
“Quarter 361, which originally sits on 1,477 Hectares of land used to house the Governor’s Guest House since the days of Western Region. The current owner prior to the revocation had, however, added the Government’s Protocol Quarters which sits on 2,279 sqm and another government property which sits on 6,565 sqm. That brings the current size of the land in the custody of the owner of Quarter 361 to a total of 23,627sqm.
“The Quarter was initially acquired by a former Governor of the State and revoked by his successor, who thereafter allocated the same to a top Ibadan businessman. The businessman had in turn, registered a “Deed of Gift” with the State’s Land Registry to indicate that he had given out the land to another former Governor of the state.
“Quarters 371 and 372 were also revoked in overriding public interest having violated the original Land Use. The same is true of Plot 138 Magazine Road, Jericho, Ibadan, which originally belongs to the Water Corporation of the State but was assigned to a private company by a past administration.
“The parcels of land located in the area known as Mammy Market, housing Block 1, plot 1 and 2, Block2 plot 1, Block2 plot 2 and 3 and Block 3 plot 3 were revoked for violating the one man, one plot principle guaranteed by the Land Use Act, 1978 as well as the approved Land Use when it was turned to commercial residential use, whereas the plots of land were given out for private residential purposes.
“They were supposed to be owner-occupier but they are not,” the statement read.