Hundreds of parents of students from three public schools in Ifako Ijaiye area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria stormed the Office of the Lagos state deputy governor today to protest the plan take over of the playing field of the schools by a certain company in the area.
The three schools affected by the planned seizure of the land measuring four plots are Keke Senior High School, Estate Junior High School and Stadium Junior High School in Ifako Ijaiye.
The aggrieved parents stormed the deputy governor’s office with placards and appealed to the state government to salvage the land which belonged to the schools to prevent the company, Jotito from taking possession of the playing field.
The parent brandished placards that read: “Her Excellency, the deputy governor of Lagos state, please, save our children’s football field from land grabbers,” another read: “Lagos State House of Assembly, please, save our children’s football field”; “Joint Parent Forum of Keke Senior High School, Stadium Junior High School, Estate Junior High School,” “Jotito, leave our school field alone, the sport ground is for three schools,” “Lagos State Deputy Governor, save us from land grabbers,” “Save our football field: passionate appeal to Lagos Deputy Governor,” among others.
Chairman of the Parent Forum, James Ayeni said Keke High School was founded in 1982 on the left and Stadium High School and Estate Junior High School on the left with the school field playing field in the middle.
He said that recently, the school field was allegedly sold out to the late Oba of Agege, Lateef Adams, who in turn sold it to Jotito company who wants to use the four plot of land to erect an hotel structure.
“We wrote petitions to the State House of Assemby, the Governor and the Ministry of Education on this matter. The House of Assembly called us last year and we met with them,” he said.
Ayeni added that the Lagos State Development and Property Corporation, LSDPC claimed that it sold out the land in 1989 seven years after the school was established, meaning that the property belonged to the school.
He said last Friday, management of Jotito brought in the police to take possession of the land by breaking the lock the school attached to the gate and began digging the ground.
“The company, in collaboration with the police broke the lock of the gate and entered the field. The policemen claimed they came from Pen Cinema Police Station. When we met the Divisonal Police Officer (DPO), he said he did not know what the company wanted security for but only told him they needed security to go to a place.
“The DPO brought in his own padlock and locked the gate to the field and told us to meet with the Commander, Area ‘F’ to resolve the matter, which we did but the matter is still there. We want the Lagos State Government to stop the company from doing anything on the land,” he said.
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