Teaching Hospital: Ogun communities to sue Govt, FMC

Following the consistent failure of the Management of Federal Medical Center (FMC), and the Ogun State government to honour its agreement for the payment of compensation to indigenes and residents of the 13 villages, whose communities were acquired and donated to the FMC, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta for a Federal Teaching Hospital and College of Medicine project by the Ogun State government, the affected communities have concluded arrangements to drag the government and FMC to court.

The leaders of the Communities led by Chief Babatunde Olumide and Olaewe Sunday who are Baales of Ajibayo and Oluwo Kemta villages respectively said the move became necessary because the FMC and Ogun State government had failed to fulfil their promises in spite of various steps and agreement between the parties.

The acquire villages are Ajibayo, Obele, Ijeun Amosun, Oba, Gbagura, Fonfon, Ogbagba, Akiode, Apena and Otunba Villages. Others are Ijeun Lemo Ikereku and Oluwo Kemta villages, all in Obafemi Owode local government areas of Ogun State.

The villagers had earlier written several letters to the Management of FMC and State government under the auspices of “Coalition of Heads of the affected villages” to get them compensated and resettled after the forceful taken over their lands and villages for the proposed Federal Medical Center Teaching Hospital and Syringe industry.

In a letter written earlier to the State Governor, Senator Amosun, the heads of the affected villages expressed worry for the sudden takeover of their means of livelihood without any form of compensation and resettlement.

The letter read, “Our anxiety has been what will be our fate as a result of the annihilation of the entire thirteen villages for the project development. How to cope with life after our imminent displacement has been our source of concern and sorrow to all of us”

“We are typical villagers who have no other place than our inherited village shelters and farm lands. How do we survive without our shelter and farm lands?

This is the reason why we hereby exploit this opportunity to appeal to you and your government to be compassionate towards us, by relocating us to a place that would no more be acquired by any future government” the Village Heads said.

Chief Babatunde Olumide and Olaewe Sunday revealed that after the letter and series of visits, the State government sent a delegation led by ‎one Omobo O.O and Olutunde who came on behalf of FMC and the State government and made unfulfilled promises that the villagers would be attended to on or before April, 2018, which was not fulfilled, and had to make another promise for the end of July.