NATA protests land grab at Mushin, accuses LASG officials
By Olukayode Agbebi
The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been asked to save hundreds of mechanics at Mushin in Lagos from forceful eviction.
The Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, (NATA) in a statement made available to Irohinoodua on Thursday said some fraudulent Lagos State top officials have been accused of working behind the scene to in collaboration with some unscrupulous people to seize a piece of land earmarked for mechanics and members of Nigerian Automobile Technicians Association, (NATA).
The piece of land is located at Odo-Aladura Mechanic Village, Jimade close, off Ladipo road, Mushin
In the statement on Friday NATA National Secretary Comrade David Ajerunmobi said the mechanics who are in hundreds are under threats of forced eviction.
NATA accused a land speculator, Mr. Abass Adenekan of colluding with top-ranking officials of Ministry of Transportation and few politicians to falsify and manipulate official documents of the state regarding the mechanic village in order to unlawfully and violently evict our members without any regard to the rules of law and the state policy.
“Our members were legally settled at this site with authentic documents allocating the land for their trade with the establishment of the Lagos State Mechanic Village in July 1980 which was even clearly stated in the Lagos state Executive council memo dated July 17, 1980, and official and approved letters of permanent allocation were given each of them on December 16, 1993.”
NATA said since 1993 the mechanics have been paying official Ground Rents and other levies to the same Ministry Of Transportation till date.
The group said “Moreover, the site is under power line which Lagos State excluded from any official structure or erection but are only permitted for mechanic and artisan trades, but they have been falsifying land documents contrary to the state rules and policy in which at the end up in private uses.”
NATA said it had equally engaged the service of a lawyer who has met with the officials of Ministry of Transport involved since 2017 but that the land speculatora are undermining the court to take over the land by force.