Gov Abiodun Drags Amosun Into Demolition Spat With Gbenga Daniels

The controversy over the demolition of the Ijebu-Ode 5-storey DATKEM Plaza owned by the wife of the penultimate governor of Ogun State, Senator Gbenga Daniel escalated on Monday after the incumbent governor, Chief Dapo Abiodun dragged his immediate predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun into the scene.

Speaking to newsmen Governor Abiodun said he did not knowingly go out to spite Senator Daniel as he had previously helped to protect another property belonging to him from the demolition squad of Amosun when the latter was governor of the state.

GWG.ng reports that officials of the Ogun State government had partially pulled down DATKEM plaza owned by Olufunke Daniel on the claim of violations of the state’s building laws.

The claims have been hotly disputed by the Daniels.

Debunking the claims of political vindictiveness, Governor Abiodun said on Monday:

“The owners (referring to Daniel and his wife) of DATKEM in their minds must have felt they were above the law.”

“It smirks of impunity if the Ministry of Physical Planning sends you a contravention order, sends you a seal order and you continue with the construction in violation of the safety of all of us in Ogun State.

“They sent you a demolition order, you still did not respond. You begin to sneak into the building at night, you begin to work there. You begin to attempt to grease palms so that they can overlook your contraventions. But, of course, a day of reckoning will always come.”

Noting that buildings are pulled down every day without much noise, he recalled how he helped to save a building belonging to Daniel from the demolition squad sent by former Governor Amosun when the latter was in office.

He said: “Let me take you down memory lane. The purported owner of this property, when I assumed office in 2019, had a property in Abeokuta. It was meant to be a hotel. My predecessor had sealed that property for eight years. He had issued a stop order. He was going to demolish that building, but for my intervention. I pleaded with him. That building remained under lock and key until I assumed office. The first day I was sworn in was the very day the owner moved into that property for the first time in eight years. And today, the property is called Conference Hotel in Abeokuta.

“How do you now begin to accuse the same me that facilitated the completion of that project despite different court actions that were brought then, despite different charges by the EFCC that were hanging around the project. I actually commissioned that project alongside the former vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. You are now trying to use media, trying to attract unnecessary sympathy, playing the underdog that I, Dapo Abiodun, demolished a property that first I didn’t know it was yours; your name is not on that property. You never came forward to say this property is yours.

“You expect that someone, who is a serving senator, a former governor of this state, would show a level of more responsibility. I have said it that I, Dapo Abiodun, if I have a building that violates the building code, bring it down.

“And by this, I am sending a strong warning to all of us across the state. There are many of you who have buildings without approvals. There are many of you who don’t even have C of O. If you have built without approvals, the long arm of the law will soon be catching up with you. We will not tolerate lawlessness in this state. We will not be defined by lawlessness and half hazard development when you just build anyhow.”

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