Ogun Government Rejects Claims on Land Allocation Revocation

The Ogun State Government has denied claims that it unfairly revoked a land allocation in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area. They said the provisional offer was cancelled because the applicant did not pay for the land within the 60-day deadline.

Kayode Akinmade, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, explained that the land in question is a 4.646-hectare parcel at Fere Village, Jibowu, along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway. The land was assessed at N334,493,200, but the original applicant, Adijat Jumoke Busari, did not make the payment on time.

Akinmade shared that Busari applied for the land on January 7, 2025, under reference number OW/SL/C.1302. After the necessary site inspection, the Bureau responsible for land allocation sent her a Provisional Letter of Offer on March 25, 2025.

He said the applicant got the assessment letter on April 2, 2025. The letter clearly stated that payment for the land had to be made within 60 days. "She did not meet that condition," Akinmade stated.

On June 17, 2025, Busari paid N2,304,200, but this only covered some additional charges like execution, annual ground rent, government survey, preparation, and registration fees.

“It did not constitute payment towards the N334,493,200 assessed cost of the land,” he added. Akinmade also noted that the main land charges, including the Premium Fee, Capital Contribution Fee, and Special Infrastructural Development Charge, remained unpaid.

He clarified that the applicant had not paid for the land itself, despite the 60-day deadline given in the provisional offer. As a result, the offer was cancelled as per its terms, and the applicant was officially informed.

After the cancellation, Akinmade mentioned that the land became available for other investors and was later allocated to another company for industrial development after a new application.

He also said the government did not completely close the door on the original applicant. Following Busari's appeal after receiving the cancellation notice, meetings took place. On March 10, 2026, she was told the government would help her find another piece of land.

He added that discussions were expected regarding any improvements on the original site. “The Bureau has, however, received no formal notice of any new agreement reached between the parties about the relocation or existing improvements,” he said.

Akinmade maintained that this was not a case of unfair land revocation. He said it was a provisional offer that the applicant failed to pay for within the set period. The new allocation to another investor only happened after the first offer was cancelled.

He expressed concern over what he called the applicant's misrepresentation of the situation in the media. Akinmade said the applicant seemed to create the impression that a fully paid allocation was revoked unfairly.

"We believe the facts should speak for themselves. The government has nothing to hide and will not allow a straightforward case of failure to pay for a land allocation within the stipulated period to be misrepresented as arbitrary revocation," Akinmade said.

He added that the government's readiness to assist the original applicant in finding alternative land shows its commitment to resolving the issue in a fair and compassionate way.