Abeokuta – The Labour Party has accused the Ogun State Government of allegedly selling government-owned housing assets, a claim the state government has strongly denied, describing it as baseless and misleading.
The National Vice Chairman (South-West) of the Labour Party, Mr Abayomi Arabambi, alleged that the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun was disposing of public housing assets, including the Ibara Housing Estate in Abeokuta, buildings belonging to the Ogun State Housing Corporation, and other properties under the corporation’s control.
In a statement issued on Monday, the party accused the Abiodun-led administration of “recklessly disposing of public assets built with taxpayers’ funds,” warning that such actions could undermine the future of affordable housing in the state.
Arabambi described the alleged sale of the Ibara Housing Estate as “a direct attack on Ogun State’s collective heritage,” claiming that estates originally designed for civil servants and ordinary residents were being transferred to private interests through what he termed “opaque and anti-people arrangements.”
He further argued that the Ogun State Housing Corporation, established nearly five decades ago to address housing deficits, was being weakened through what he described as systematic asset stripping.
The party also criticised what it called a lack of transparency surrounding the alleged transactions, insisting that there was no meaningful consultation with residents, labour unions, the Ogun State House of Assembly, or traditional institutions before the decisions were taken.
According to the Labour Party, rather than selling public estates, the government should prioritise road construction, rehabilitate existing housing facilities and strengthen the Housing Corporation to enable it to fulfil its mandate of providing affordable housing.
Arabambi called on elder statesmen, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Prof Wole Soyinka, former Ogun State governor Chief Olusegun Osoba, and traditional rulers such as the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, to intervene and prevail on the governor to halt the alleged sales.
He demanded the immediate suspension of all housing asset disposals, full disclosure of beneficiaries and procedures in line with Freedom of Information requests allegedly submitted over two months ago, and an independent audit of the Ogun State Housing Corporation. He added that the party’s lawyer, Prof Yemi Oke (SAN), had been briefed to initiate legal action should the demands be ignored.
Reacting, the Ogun State Government dismissed the allegations as “hogwash,” attributing them to ignorance.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Mr Kayode Akinmade, said Arabambi lacked a basic understanding of governance and urban development.
According to Akinmade, the state’s urban renewal initiative had modernised Government Reserved Areas across Ogun and attracted commendation from prominent Nigerians, including former President Obasanjo, Prof Soyinka, former governor Osoba and the Alake of Egbaland.
He explained that urban renewal involves upgrading cities and improving infrastructure, noting that the development of modern housing estates along major corridors is a global practice.
“The problem with Arabambi is his gross ignorance of governance. Perhaps he has never worked in government,” Akinmade said.
He maintained that beneficiaries of the urban renewal programme were Ogun indigenes who understood its value and purpose, stressing that the initiative was aimed at modernising urban centres, not selling off public heritage.
As of the time of filing this report, both sides remained firm in their positions, with the Labour Party insisting on transparency and the state government defending its urban development policies.
Leave a Reply