SEO
Youths of Badagry West Local Council Development Area (LCDA) on Monday protested against alleged encroachment on land designated for Sito Gbethrome Secondary School, Seme, Badagry, Lagos State.
The protest took place at the school premises, where the youths called on the Lagos State Government and other relevant authorities to intervene and protect the land.
Mr Timothy Brose, Chairman, Community Development Association (CDA), Oglogbo Community, Kweme Kingdom, Badagry West, said the community was concerned about the alleged encroachment on the school premises.
Brose, also the Financial Secretary of the Community Development Committee, Badagry West, said the state government had earmarked and fenced the land for the school.
He said part of the available land had also been designated for the establishment of a technical college, which would promote skills acquisition and development in the community.
Brose, a former student of the school, said the community would not want the school to share its premises with a facility unrelated to education or skills acquisition.
He alleged that investigations by community members indicated that a five-star hotel was being constructed on the land without the knowledge of community stakeholders.
According to him, the absence of a project signboard has raised concerns about the nature and approval status of the development.
“We are therefore calling on the Lagos State Governor, the Commissioner for Education and other concerned stakeholders to come to our aid, as the land has been reserved for the construction of a technical college at Sito Gbethrome,” he said.
He insisted that construction should stop until the appropriate procedures were followed.
Brose also expressed concern about the safety of students and residents, citing the prevailing security challenges in the country.
He urged the state, local and Federal Governments, as well as community leaders, to protect the school land and ensure that the proposed technical college project was not jeopardised.
Also, Mr Sodiq Godonu, a member of the Badagry West LCDA Youths, described the alleged encroachment as worrisome, noting that the school was a state government facility.
Godonu said education should be protected from unauthorised activities, adding that the proposed technical college would contribute to the development of Badagry West.
He said the alleged encroachment threatened the community’s development plans and raised concerns about the safety of students and residents.
Godonu recalled that a similar encroachment occurred in the community in 2022 but was stopped by the Lagos State Government following complaints from residents.
He appealed to government authorities and community leaders to intervene and prevent a recurrence.
Mrs Elizabeth Podayi, also a member of the youth council, said the land represented the community’s future, heritage and livelihood.
Podayi said the establishment of a technical college would provide opportunities for young people and contribute to the area’s development, rather than the proposed hotel project.
Mr Uthman Awesu, another youth member, said the education and safety of students should take precedence over commercial or private interests.
Awesu said the youths would support legitimate development projects, particularly those promoting technical education, but opposed developments undertaken without proper approval or consultation with relevant authorities and community stakeholders.
He called on the local, state and federal governments to protect the school premises and safeguard the community’s future.
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