“Youths demand halt to alleged land encroachment, insist site is reserved for vocational education”
Youths in Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) have called on the Lagos State Government to expedite the construction of the proposed Badagry West Technical College to prevent further alleged encroachment on the land designated for the project.
The youths said the delay in commencing construction had raised concerns over the possible loss of land earmarked for the long awaited educational institution.
They made the appeal on Friday while presenting a document rejecting the alleged illegal occupation of the premises of Sito Gbethrome Secondary School in Seme, Badagry West, where the proposed technical college is expected to be built.
The presentation followed a recent protest by residents and youths over what they described as attempts by some individuals to encroach on the land.
The document was presented to the Vice Principal of Sito Gbethrome Junior Secondary School, Mrs Felicia Adejobi, as part of efforts to formally communicate the community’s position on the matter.
Speaking on behalf of the youths, Mr Sodiq Godonu, a former Speaker of the National Association of Badagry West Students, said the document was intended to reinforce the community’s claim to the land and its commitment to the proposed college.
Godonu said the land, already fenced as part of the school premises, was communal property reserved for the construction of a technical college to address the shortage of vocational and technical education opportunities in the area.
He described the proposed institution as a long standing aspiration of the community, noting that its establishment would provide young people with access to practical training and skills needed for employment and entrepreneurship.
According to him, the community has endured years of educational neglect, particularly in technical education, leaving many young people without adequate opportunities to acquire vocational skills.
Godonu alleged that some individuals had begun clearing, surveying and subdividing portions of the land for private sale and other personal purposes.
He insisted that the community had never sold the property and warned that any attempt to claim ownership contrary to its records and historical position would be challenged.
“We have authentic records and traditional history that this land was never sold to anyone by the community,” he said, questioning the authenticity of any documents allegedly presented to establish private ownership.
The former student leader maintained that the land remained communal property held in trust for the proposed technical college and urged those allegedly involved in the encroachment to stop all activities pending the intervention of the relevant authorities.
He called on the Chairman of Badagry West LCDA, the Lagos State Government, the Office of the Surveyor General and security agencies to investigate the matter and prevent further development on the disputed site.
Godonu also urged the authorities to ensure that anyone found to be unlawfully occupying the land vacated the premises and ceased activities that could jeopardise the proposed educational project.
The Chairman of the Community Development Association in Oglogbo Community, Kweme Kingdom, Badagry West, Mr Timothy Brose, also questioned the legitimacy of the activities reportedly taking place on the property.
Brose said the absence of a Lagos State Government signpost identifying an approved development project had heightened suspicion among residents and prompted the community to raise the alarm.
He said the community’s intervention was intended to prevent the dispute from escalating into a confrontation, urging the relevant authorities to clarify the status of the land and the activities being undertaken there.
Brose added that the premises served an educational purpose and that residents would not support any development capable of disrupting learning or undermining the community’s plans for the proposed technical college.
Similarly, the Badagry West Coordinator of the National Youth Council, Mr Joseph Agbomenu, said the proposed institution would promote skills acquisition, expand educational opportunities and stimulate economic development in the area.
Agbomenu said the community had chosen dialogue to communicate its grievances to the alleged encroachers and relevant government authorities, stressing that all activities inconsistent with the land’s designated purpose should stop.
An alumnus of Sito Gbethrome Secondary School, Class of 2001, Mr Peter Hunnuvi, also condemned the alleged encroachment, insisting that the school premises should remain dedicated to educational development.
Hunnuvi appealed to those undertaking construction or other activities on the land to halt their operations and respect the community’s plans for the proposed technical college, while the youths renewed their call for the Lagos State Government to expedite the project.
