Ogun housing asset sale claims spark dispute as Labour Party accuses Ogun government, which strongly denies selling public estates

The Labour Party has accused the Ogun State Government of selling government owned housing assets, a claim the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun has firmly denied, describing the allegation as misleading and unfounded.

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The accusation was made by the Labour Party’s National Vice Chairman for the South West, Abayomi Arabambi, who alleged that the Ogun State Government was disposing of public housing properties, including the Ibara Housing Estate in Abeokuta and assets belonging to the Ogun State Housing Corporation.

In a statement issued on Monday, Abayomi Arabambi accused the Abiodun administration of recklessly disposing of housing assets built with public funds, warning that such actions could undermine access to affordable housing and weaken the Housing Corporation’s original mandate.

He described the alleged sale of the Ibara Housing Estate as a direct assault on the state’s collective heritage, claiming that estates developed for civil servants and low income residents were being transferred to private interests through what he characterised as opaque arrangements.

The Labour Party further alleged that the Ogun State Housing Corporation, established nearly five decades ago to address housing shortages, was being deliberately weakened through asset stripping.

The party criticised what it described as a lack of transparency, alleging that residents, labour unions, the House of Assembly and traditional institutions were not consulted before the alleged transactions.

Abayomi Arabambi argued that rather than disposing of public estates, the government should prioritise road construction, rehabilitation of existing housing facilities and strengthening the Housing Corporation to deliver affordable homes.

He also called on elder statesmen and traditional rulers, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Wole Soyinka, former governor Olusegun Osoba and the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, to intervene and persuade the governor to halt the alleged sales.

The party demanded the immediate suspension of all housing asset disposals, full disclosure of beneficiaries and processes in line with Freedom of Information Act requests, and an independent audit of the Ogun State Housing Corporation.

It added that its lawyer, Professor Yemi Oke, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, had been briefed to initiate legal action if the demands were ignored.

Reacting, the Ogun State Government dismissed the claims as hogwash and accused the Labour Party of misunderstanding governance and urban development.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, said the allegations stemmed from ignorance, insisting that the administration was not selling public heritage but implementing an urban renewal programme.

Kayode Akinmade said the government’s renewal initiative had modernised Government Reserved Areas across the state and attracted commendation from prominent Nigerians, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Professor Wole Soyinka, former governor Olusegun Osoba and the Alake of Egbaland.

He explained that urban renewal focuses on upgrading cities and improving infrastructure, adding that the development of modern housing along major corridors is a global practice.

“The problem with Arabambi is his gross ignorance of governance. Perhaps he has never worked in government,” Kayode Akinmade said.

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He maintained that beneficiaries of the programme were Ogun indigenes who understood its purpose, stressing that the initiative was aimed at modernising cities rather than disposing of public assets.