A political analyst and former Student Union President of the University of Ibadan, Aderemi Ojo has urged the Lagos State Government to reassign a vacant space to the landowners as promised or pay them off to avoid future crises.
In an interview with The informant247, he said, ” it is the fault of the government one hundred percent”.
According to Ojo, “As to the details about what transpired between the two parties in their private dealings, I’ll rely on the information contained in the news concerning the matter.
“I can understand that the claimants had had their land taken in the 1980s by the military administration of Lagos at the time and despite the attempts to get it back, the land had not been related to them.
“So they had to go to court. That is, as I understand, the genesis of the matter.
“I believe that is the only solution. The Supreme Court has issued a final decision on the matter and it is generating crisis already.
“I think both parties should come back to the table and discuss it. I am not one to wave aside the validity of a court of competent jurisdiction. On one hand, we had a military government confiscate land by diktat from a defenseless family, on the other hand, we have people who have invested in the land before the court restored ownership of same to the original owners. The government should reassign a vacant space to the people as promised or pay off the original owners. It is the fault of the government one hundred percent. The matter will still come to the table and I am not sure there can be another way to go about it.”
He advised the security agencies to maintain civility on the issue, saying that there can be consequences if the rule of law is not obeyed.
“I believe they should do things with civility. I understand there are supposed to be Sheriffs dealing with court judgments. It shouldn’t be a thing for the Inspector General or the Attorney-General of the Federation but being a country with contradictory and deficient laws, I believe one should simply make them understand there can be consequences. They, simply, should execute orders with civility,” he expressed.
Speaking on what it requires to change the narrative of a country, the former Student Union President, said, “What does it require to change a country? Knowledge, commitment, energy, political will. The only likely section of the population to combine all requirements is young people. Yes, they are getting ready but the emphasis should be on the need for the right people. It is not enough to simply be a youth. Age and wisdom are two parallel lines. They never meet. With access to tech and robotic science, data analysis etcetera, it is easier to govern. The most likely to understand these are young people who are creating them. I have met many young people who think differently and positively. It gives me hope that they are ready and are becoming ready to do the job.
“I believe things are changing. The people will win eventually. Politics is not inherently bad; it only depends on the person in the middle of it. Politics is like fire, it is useful to humans and, altogether, harmful when not managed well. We are realising that already and more good people are moving towards politics.”