New Telegraph

How Kwara Water Corporation’s land was sold, by witnesses

Public hearing commenced yesterday at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry on the sale of Kwara State government assets with focus on the alleged illegal sale of Water Corporation’s land at Olalomi Water Reservoir, Ira road, Offa, by the administration of former Governor Abdulfattah Ahmed.

 

Testifying before the panel, a retired Area Land Officer, Samuel Ajide, said he was informed of the government’s decision to sell a plot originally reserved for future development at the reservoir and one Alhaja Bintu Lawal, who indicated interest in constructing a filling station on the land applied in October 2015.

 

. Ajide, who confirmed that the sum of N7 million was paid into his personal account by Alhaja Lawal in 2015, alleged that 90 per cent of the money was paid to different government agencies, but the application was approved for the construction of a residential building, contrary to the application. “Alhaja Bintu paid the sum of N7 million to me for a portion of land at Olalomi Water Reservoir after she applied to purchase the land for the construction of a filling station.

 

The application met a brick wall when the Ministry of Water Resources insisted that the land was reserved for future purposes. Alhaja Lawal later sought the intervention of a former member of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Hassan Oyeleke, who approached former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed and approval was issued for a residential building,” Ajide told the panel. Lawal, who bought the land, however, alleged being scammed by Mr Samuel Ajide and other persons.

 

“Ajide approached me in 2015 that the land was to be sold. He told me he was still in service. I did not know he had retired. In fact, he came with government vehicles on several occasions and we bargained from N10 million to N7 million for the portion of Olalomi Water Reservoir Offa.

 

Ajide could not produce any paper or title documents to me. I had to approach Hon. Hassan Oyeleke who helped me secure the R of O after paying N909,250.50k in December 2018, which was charged on government land. In fact, I lost more than that N7 million to that land. Ajide scammed me because I am an illiterate,” she said.

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