Deeper Life Ready To Reclaim Encroached Parcel Of Land At Maba
The Chairman of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor Alfred Ogene, has disclosed the church leadership’s readiness to reclaim the encroached 40 hectares of land originally earmarked for Anchor University Permanent Campus, and other church projects at Maba town, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
Ostensibly throwing light into the circumstance, he said the Deeper Life Bible Church owns a vast expanse of land in the town, and that some of the church’s important facilities have been constructed and stand on parts of the land. He added that the other parts of the vast expanse are earmarked for a few other projects that are at various stages of conception and ideation, and that one of the projects is Anchor University.
Ogene said the need to reclaim the encroached portion of land has become exigent as the university has been operating from its temporary campus situated inside the International Bible Training Centre (IBTC), Ayobo-Ipaja, Lagos, saying that that was not the original plan. He said that notwithstanding, “Anchor University has made some giant strides in the Nigerian education sector within the first six years of its operation. He said, last year 2022, the University had its combined 2021/2022 Graduation ceremonies; thereby signaling the completion of the critical cycle of inception and victory over the attendant challenges of that cycle.
“This completed cycle also signals the start of the next, albeit more exciting, phase in the life of the University. The unfolding of this next phase and the need to secure the buy-in of all critical stakeholders, direct and indirect, informs the convening of today’s media briefing.”
He explained that Anchor University’s unique and purposefully planned permanent campus, as presented in the plan to the National Universities Commission while seeking approval, was to be constructed on a more than 40-hectare parcel of land situated at Maba Town, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State. In fact and in truth, this over 40-hectare earmarked land was part of the vast expanse of land belonging to DLBC, progenitor of Anchor University, in the town and its environs, and said contrary to the Church’s initial plan, construction of the Anchor University Permanent Campus has not commenced as immediately as was envisaged.
He attributed the snag to a large part of the earmarked land being taken over by trespassers and, as a responsible organisation, the Church had resolved to follow all existing legal channels to reclaim the land from encroachers by instituting a suit in 2008 (Suit No: AB/25 1/2008) at the Ogun State High Court against all those connected, directly or indirectly, with the encroachment.
Following a prolonged litigation process over the encroached land, Ogene said, “As far back as 2018, the church had secured the Certificate of Occupancy on the land and has been discharging its financial obligations to the state government as spelt out in the C of O.
“But, because of the kingdom-attuned nature of our organisation, we have had to embrace a more conciliatory and pedestrian approach in driving off the illegal occupants on the land, even though the Court had given us the Order of Demolition to do so.
“Today, however, the church can no longer afford delays in repossessing the land because the project for which it was meant now needs it urgently.
“All the projects of the church for which the lands were foresightedly acquired are now at a stage that informs our need to repossess immediately. We have exhausted our patience and there is no time to waste again. So, we have resolved to move men and equipment to the sites to commence work. All structures or objects that have not been removed by their owners will not be spared.”
Given the foregoing developments, he said the church is now ready to repossess all the encroached portions of its land in Maba Town because the time has come to use it for the original aim which is the construction of the permanent campus of Anchor University on the more than 40-hectare parcel of land earmarked for the project as submitted in our document to the NUC, adding that other projects earmarked for other parts of the vast land are also billed to begin in this first quarter of the year.
He noted that the take-off of the Anchor University Campus Project especially has been delayed this long by the need to give all illegal occupants of parts of the project site ample time to voluntarily vacate the land, saying the church has no more time to give.
He cautioned, “This is why I would like to close this address by restating our warning for all trespassers to vacate the land and clear their illegal structures immediately or risk having them demolished. For emphasis’ sake, the general public should please note that we have exhausted our patience and there is no time to waste again. We are moving men and equipment to the affected sites to commence demolition work. All structures or objects that have not been removed by their owners will be cleared off the land”.