The Ogun State Government has taken proactive measures by partially demolishing DATKEM Plaza in Ijebu Ode, which is believed to be owned by Mrs. Olufunke Daniel, the wife of the state’s former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel. The government declared the plaza an illegal structure without an approved plan, stating that it violated the state’s physical planning laws and building codes due to numerous defects.
According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olayiwola Abiodun, the state government had made several efforts to stop further development on the site, but these efforts were ignored by the developers. Government officials also requested the structural engineer responsible for the building to assess its structural integrity, but this request was disregarded.
The government’s action in partially demolishing the flawed building was characterized as a proactive step. The Permanent Secretary challenged the owners of the structure to provide evidence of government approval for its construction.
However, a lawyer representing the former governor’s wife, Mr. Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), claimed that the state government ignored court papers served on them on September 7, 2023, which had requested that they refrain from vandalizing and demolishing DATKEM Plaza. Kotoye disclosed that the vandalization was allegedly carried out by suspected political thugs operating in the building with the protection of police officers from 3 am to about 5:30 am on Sunday morning.
The Permanent Secretary clarified that the building lacked stage certification, which is typically issued at each stage of construction. He also noted that the owners had received various notices, including abatement, contravention, stop work, and demolition, between May and October 2022, all of which were disregarded.
Additionally, DATKEM Enterprises Limited had applied to construct an office complex in 2009, specifying the proposed design and location. However, observations during routine monitoring indicated deviations from the approved plan in terms of airspace and setbacks.
The statement from the Ogun State Government provided a detailed account of actions taken in response to the construction of DATKEM Plaza. These actions included:
- Serving a Contravention Notice with Serial No. 0106983 on May 24, 2022.
- Issuing a Stop Work Order with Serial No. 000623 on May 24, 2022.
- Reiterating a Stop Work Order with Serial No. 001065 on July 22, 2022, after the initial notice was ignored.
- Serving a Demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 on October 11, 2022.
- Notifying the owner with a Notice to Seal with Serial No. 000815 on October 4, 2022.
Despite these notices, the developer continued with construction work on the site, leading to the re-sealing of the premises on August 1, 2023. However, the sealing did not deter further construction activities. An appeal for unsealing was considered to allow the removal of belongings from the premises, followed by a quit notice with Serial No. 0030750 on August 31, 2023.
Given the developer’s persistent non-compliance, the recommendation of the Zonal Town Planning Office for the demolition of the office building was upheld, resulting in the recent partial demolition.
The Ogun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring the safety of its citizens and emphasized that any defective buildings in the state would be demolished to safeguard lives.
In response, a lawyer representing Mrs. Olufunke Daniel, Mr. Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), stated that the demolition occurred despite relevant court papers being served on the government on September 7, 2023, with a request not to proceed with the vandalization and demolition of DATKEM Plaza. Kotoye alleged that the demolition was carried out by suspected political thugs in the early hours of Sunday.
Mrs. Daniel’s lawyer also noted that DATKEM had appealed for the unsealing and regulation of the building, and had paid the required fees to the state government. The statement expressed disbelief that the state government disregarded ongoing legal processes and went ahead with the demolition, suggesting that the Attorney General’s advice may have been ignored.
Additionally, Olusegun Lawal, the project manager and developer, insisted that the building had full approval from relevant authorities when construction commenced in 2009. Lawal argued that the excuses given by the government were not valid, and he refuted claims of structural defects in the building.
Kotoye confirmed that they had filed a court action and served the court processes to the state government, but the matter had not been heard yet. Despite this, they ensured that the court documents were served to the government. The lawyer also mentioned that the demolition took place after the court processes were served to the government.
Sowunmi’s open letter
A former governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections in Ogun State, Chief Segun Sowunmi, wrote an open letter to President Bola Tinubu on Sunday. He alleged that the state was safer under former President Muhammad Buhari, a Daura man, and unsafe under Tinubu, a Yoruba man.
Sowunmi, who was reacting to the demolition of DATKEM Plaza, said the action of Governor Dapo Abiodun was unbecoming.
The letter read partly, “The body language of President Tinubu seems to be in support of actions Prince Dapo Abiodun has taken in Ogun State.
“If no one will tell you, I will. Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun State.
“What type of gangsterism do we call this? President Bola Tinubu, you are enabling Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. We keep reporting him, but what we see is that the more we report him, the more you pamper him with access to you. It was funny how he made the trip to India coming on the heels of the allegation of a local government chairman about interference with local government funds.
“Will Ogun now feel safer under President Buhari, a Daura man, and unsafe under a Yoruba man? If no one will tell you, I will. Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun State.
“Dapo Abiodun got his thugs to attack me in the premises of a court, and then he shamefully removed Wale Adedayo based on a serious allegation of diversion of local government funds. Now a sitting senator has to deal with this?
“President Bola Tinubu, is this the type of thing you stand for, or am I dreaming?
“The likes of Dapo Abiodun, who are profiting from a democratic struggle that took so many lives, cannot be allowed to rubbish what is ideal behaviour and conduct in democracy.
“Mr President, in our Yoruba language, ‘Dundu Dapo Abiodun n’lata Ju.’ (Dapo Abiodun’s actions are getting extremely overbearing.)
“The powers and privileges of a governor cannot and should not be so total that a president will be unable to save the people.”
Reacting, a senior aide to Abiodun, who pleaded for anonymity, said, “Though I am not a spokesperson for Mr President, if Sowunmi is reacting to what happened in Ijebu Ode today, then it’s very unfortunate that he will be supporting illegality.
“It’s not Prince Dapo Abiodun that did the demolition, nor was he that ordered its demolition; the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning has been on this for so many years. Do we then sit down and allow what happened in Ikorodu and other areas like that to happen in Ogun State before action is taken?
“The law is no respecter of anybody; the lives of every resident of this state are very precious to the government, so the action by the ministry is to forestall any calamity.
“So we are unperturbed by what Sowunmi is saying or writing. What is paramount is for the government to serve its people with diligence and utmost sincerity.”
