Lagos citizens have witnessed a heated controversy between the management of Edwards Private School in Agege and the Agege Local Council over the demolition of the 30-year-old three-storey building belonging to the school.
The school claims to be the rightful owner of the building and the land on which it is located, accusing the council authorities of illegal demolition, while the council defends its decision by citing lack of title deed to the property.
During the demolition of the school building over the weekend, a Vanguard reporter saw a “confiscation notice” affixed to the school fence. The remains of computers and other electronic devices were destroyed during the intervention of the Agege Local Council officials.
Residents and alumni of the school, present at the scene, lamented the action of the council, stressing that the school had benefited many needy residents of Agege for many decades.
Books, records and other property of the school were scattered around the compound as staff were denied the opportunity to remove them before demolition.
A staff member of the school, Mrs Adetoro, told Vanguard reporter that the school had an approved building plan, court judgment, registered conveyance and consent of the governor, as well as a conveyance/release letter of land issued by the government, from which it obtained its title/transfer.
She also asserted that the titles were duly registered with the Lagos State Government after obtaining the consent of the governor 30 years ago.
Mrs Adetoro also said that the school had been paying various taxes and fees to the Agege Local Council Area since 1992.
She even showed the reporter a copy of the registered title of the school, the building approval number and other approval documents of the school, as well as a copy of the letter the owners of the school wrote to the Chairman of the Agege Local Council which was acknowledged in his office a day before the demolition.
On the other hand, the Chairman of the council, Ganiyu Egunjobi, claimed that the half plot of land where the school was built is part of the Agege New Model Market extension, located on the old Ogba road in Agege.
Egunjobi was also quoted as saying that the council got its title from the Lagos State Government.
When contacted, Egunjobi confirmed that his council was responsible for the demolition. He said: “The question is: is the school a public school? It is a private school. We asked them to provide the land title but they do not have valid ownership papers.”
Meanwhile, a source at the Lagos State Ministry of Local Government Affairs said the ministry could not intervene in the matter because of the autonomy of the local council. The source said: “We have a Local Council Monitoring Department that looks after such matters.
“My suggestion to the school owner is to write a petition to the State Commissioner for Local Government Affairs and the Chairman, Local Government Affairs Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly for intervention and subsequent action.”