A 26-count charge has been filed by the Attorney- General of Lagos State against controversial property developer and politician, Olajide Awosedo at the Lagos State Special Offences Court, Bolade, Oshodi, Lagos State.
According to the charge sheet dated Friday, February 16, Awosedo fraudulently sold several landed properties belonging to the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) to 26 unsuspecting buyers in contravention of section 8 (1) (b) of the Lagos State Properties Protection Law, 2016 popularly known as the Land Grabbers’ Law.
If convicted, he could spend up to 21 years in jail. Awosedo, according to reports, owes nothing less than nine banks in the sum of N22 billion. Most of Awosedo’s housing projects have allegedly failed due to his inability to repay his debt to lenders. It is also common knowledge that almost all of Awosedo’s projects and personal properties have been seized and taken over by AMCON and banks that lent him money.
It is also widely speculated that Awosedo who hails from Ijebu-Ode used monies borrowed from banks for housing projects to play in politics. He is said to have lavished humongous sums of borrowed monies in his unsuccessful bid for Governor of Ogun State in 2011.
Surely, it is in the interest of our society that shady individuals no matter how highly placed, should be made to answer for their misdeeds. The decision of the Attorney General of Lagos State to prosecute him is therefore commendable and should be applauded. We call upon the Federal Government to sack the man from serving on the Board of the National Hospital, Abuja with immediate effect. To appoint the likes of Awosedo into positions of authority not only sends a signal to the international community that the current administration is not serious about the fight against corruption and might mislead citizens into believing that fraud/crime is rewarded in Nigeria.
