The residents who rejected the proposed shopping complex in the area lamented that the local government was bent on forcing the project on their community.
Residents of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State have accused the local government chairman of imposing a shopping complex project on them.
The residents who rejected the proposed shopping complex in the area lamented that the local government was bent on forcing the project on their community.
The shopping complex which is situated along Idiroko Express Road, Atan, Ado-Odo/Ota is said to be constructed by the local government in conjunction with Olan Land Solutions Limited.
One of the issues raised by the residents is that the proposed shopping complex is in front of NUD Primary School.
They accused the local government of attempting to convert the school premises into a shopping complex.
SaharaReporters learnt that some residents and members of civil society organisations in the area visited the local government chairman, Sheriff Adewale Musa last Wednesday to express their reservations about the structure.
A source told SaharaReporters that the local government chairman said that the project was not yet approved by any authority and that the developer acted on his own.
Some of the residents, however, called on the chairman to stop the project immediately, describing it as illegal.
They also asked the authorities to remove all signposts of the said project from the site.
One of them said; "On Wednesday 12th of April, myself and members of Ogun State coalition of civil societies attended a meeting with the LG chairman where he confessed that the project is not yet approved by any relative authority that the developer acted on ‘his’ own ground but a verbal consent was given to the contractor by the LG, therefore, making the developer to embark on the project.
"Our response to the LG chairman was that the project should be stopped immediately since it's illegal and all signposts of the said project should be removed and the LG chairman consented.”
“Unfortunately, till today no action has been taken and the community is largely rejecting this but the LG is bent on forcing the project on our community," the statement added.