Estate Residents Urge FG To Halt Land Acquisition

Residents of Gowon Estate,
Ipaja, Lagos State last Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to halt the planned acquisition of the recreation land popularly called ‘Kuwait’ field located within the community by a businessman.
Gowon Estate in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State is one of Federal Government’s  Low Cost Housing Schemes in the state
They told  journalists  in Lagos, that the land in dispute had been serving various positive purposes for many years.
Aside being a recreational centre, it has been serving as a place of worship, football field, a basketball court and where other sporting activities take place.
“Acquiring it by anybody under whatever guise would deprive the residents its usage, they said.
The residents lamented  why  someone should just come overnight to demolish the structures erected there having claimed that he had bought the place, adding that the field was acquired for talent-discovery and youth development.
The Chairman, Community Development Area, Gowon Estate North, Mr Nathaniel Okoro said that the field had been useful to the community members, as a recreational centre.
He said that both the private and public schools in the area were having their inter-house sports’ competitions and other ceremonies there.
According to him, the community youths usually have different sporting activities on the field every evening.
He said that he was surprised to hear that the chairman and secretary of a self-acclaimed sports group connived with one Prince Ololade Oluwatoyin, the Chief Executive Officer of Rosellas Park, to acquire the land.
Okoro alleged that the two groups signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), explaining that the project would be community recreational centre for kids, with 80 per cent commission from its proceeds accruing to Rosellas while 20 per cent would go to the sports group.
Okoro said  “ The community does not benefit from this MoU arrangement and it is unacceptable. I believe a community’s property should not be managed by two selfish individuals.
“If at all any MoU must be signed, it should be between the community and Rosellas’ boss,’’ Okoro said, adding that the intervention of the Federal Housing Authority (FHA) and the traditional ruler of Egbeda land had not yielded any positive response.
“The Kuwait field is at present the only vacant land we have to relax, after a hectic day at work,” he said.
An elder statesman in the community, Mr Ifedili Nwankwo decried attempts by Rosellas to erect a recreational centre for the community so as to guard against its extortion.
He said that the community was capable of building one by itself.
Nwankwo said that a German firm, Playya Construction Company, had indicated interest in constructing recreational parks and various sporting pitches at the arena.
“The arrangement involving the Germans would have been the best because they had promised to bring in their scouts yearly, to pick talented youths in the various sporting activities, abroad.
“This will bring about a sporadic development,’’ he said
Mr Egeh Eghosa, the Gowon Estate Youth President, who said that no fewer than 100 youths visited the field every evening, condemned Rosellas planned acquisition of the land.
The youth of the community were not interested in Rosellas’s acquisition of the land because this would be anti-people when the estate is denied the use of its recreational centre, Eghosa said.
‘’ We don’t want the field to be sold,’’ he said.
Also, Mr David Eugene, the former Deputy President of Gowon Estate youths said that the estate had been designed in its architectural master plan in such a way that each close was supposed to have a recreation centre.
Eugene alleged that all the spots earmarked for such purpose had been sold out by the FHA and schools built there.