- The Lagos state government has issued a 48-hour demolition notice to the mother of national legal adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muiz Banire
- The state government asked the 90-year old Alhaja Sarat Banire to vacate her building on Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja
- However the octogenarian has said the demolition notice as "politics of vendetta"
The Lagos state government has on Wednesday, November 15, issued a 48-hour demolition notice to the mother of national legal adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muiz Banire.
The state government through its ministry of physical planning and urban development asked the 90-year old Alhaja Sarat Banire to vacate her building on Remi Fani-Kayode Street, GRA, Ikeja.
Punch reports that Sarat who is currently observing her lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia described the demolition notice as "politics of vendetta."
However, while explaining that he acquired the two-bedroom bungalow on lease from the federal government, Banire said, his family renovated the building for their mother to live in it.
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He also condemned the request of the state government for a building permit on a property he claimed was constructed by the federal government.
Banire also accused the Lagos state governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led administration was “hell bent” on persecuting him and his supporters for fighting against the culture of imposition in the APC.
Banire said: “My siblings and I acquired a lease of the property from the Federal Government to serve as a residence for my aged mother. The lease covered the two-bedroom bungalow already on the land, together with a boys’ quarter. I did not have any reason to rebuild the house or do any further construction as the place was fit for the purpose for which it was acquired on lease.
“I know that since the creation of the lease, my mother has been living in the said two-bedroomed bungalow without adding a block to the property by way of additional construction, development or alteration save minor renovation like painting. The reasons why we could not develop the property to make it more befitting is that we are still awaiting federal consent to the lease created in my mother’s favour.
“Surprisingly, on November 14, the contravention notice purportedly served by government requires that a building permit must be produced for an old building, the existence of which predated the lease by which my mother became the occupier of the premises.
The property belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria who granted a lease to my mother and save for minor renovations to make it habitable, no single efforts at construction or reconstruction has been made by any of us. How on earth could it be heard that a tenant is required to produce a building permit of a property that belongs to her landlord within 24 hours otherwise she risks demolition of the building?
“I had earlier said that the Lagos State Government, under the governorship of Akinwunmi Ambode, is out on a vendetta and having failed to get me removed as the National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress, has targeted my supporters for persecution.
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I had been expecting that since I was the ultimate target having received several messages threatening my family members and me, that very soon my property shall become objects of demolition by the vindictive government that is out to wage war against real and perceived enemies. I am, therefore, not surprised to see that my aged mother’s residence is under attack," Banire added.
He however said the building was not posing any form of threat to anyone as claimed by the state government.
He said: "I have no doubt that this latest Gestapo tactic is in furtherance of the political victimisation and oppression raging against me and my associates. I am ready for the sacrifice even if I have to, in the process, sleep on the streets of Lagos.
“The 27 properties served across the state are just the first set of an ongoing exercise embarked upon by the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to validate the records and permits of properties that have undergone ownership transfer processes.
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“There is no way Lagos State would have had a pre-knowledge of the owners of the properties in question, let alone target the one that Banire has identified to be his own. This is a routine and lawful exercise that ought not to be confusing to a supposedly learned gentleman who has had the privilege of serving in the Lagos State cabinet for many years.”
NAIJ.com earlier reported that a three-storey building which is under construction has collapsed in Lagos.
The building collapse also led to the death of many people while some others were trapped in the wreakage.
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Source: Naija.ng
ROSY CREST
Thursday 16 November 2017