By Bilesanmi Abayomi
Amid mounting allegations of involvement in the recent demolitions of communities in Oworonshoki, Chairman Moyosore Ogunlewe of Kosofe Local Government engaged with protesters from the Mosafejo Idiaraba Precious Seed People’s Front on Tuesday, attempting to clear his name and address their concerns.
The protesters had previously voiced their grievances at the House of Assembly, which led to their visit to the local government office. However, Chairman Ogunlewe vehemently denied any involvement in the demolitions and clarified his role in the unfolding situation.
According to Chairman Ogunlewe, Pastor Allen, the joint Community Development Association (CDA) chairman of Oworonshoki, had approached him with concerns about the demolitions. In response, he advised the Oworonshoki joint CDA to draft a letter to the House of Assembly to bring the matter to their attention. Additionally, he revealed that he personally wrote a petition to the Governor and House of Assembly, copying the Permanent Secretary, to express his concerns about the demolitions. He also contacted the Deputy Governor for further inquiry when Pastor Allen reached out to him.
Despite facing questions from the protesters about his findings, Chairman Ogunlewe did not disclose specific details but maintained his innocence, asserting that his actions were aimed at supporting the affected communities and sparking the House of Assembly’s interest in the demolitions.
To substantiate his claims, Chairman Ogunlewe presented a letter he had sent to the Governor of Lagos State on August 3, 2023, highlighting the ongoing demolitions in Oworonshoki. The letter emphasized the plight of the affected residents, who were now displaced due to the demolitions, and called for urgent government intervention.
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Reacting to the letter, one of the protesters, who read it aloud to the gathering, expressed the community’s desperation and accused the state government of negligence in addressing their concerns.
In response to the protesters’ demands, Chairman Ogunlewe promised to follow up on the letter and visit the affected communities the following day. However, the protesters made it clear that they did not want to engage with the government through the CDA. Instead, they requested to draft an official letter outlining their demands.
Chairman Ogunlewe pledged to provide a cover letter for the community’s official document and assured the people that their request would be presented to the governor.