NIPU Faults LG Chairman Okanlawon Over Monday Market Land Dispute

The National Ikirun Progressive Union (NIPU) has criticised comments made by Alhaji Hassan Okanlawan during a radio interview on Salim FM, Ikirun, describing some of his remarks as a misunderstanding of government responsibilities to the public.

In a statement signed by its Secretary, Abdelhafeez Olalekan Ishaq Maigida, the union said it listened “attentively and with an open and comprehensive mindset” to the interview but found the assertion that NIPU should not concern itself with government land issues to be misplaced.

The union rejected claims that NIPU ought to have focused solely on the Monday Market land issue, stressing that matters such as waste dumping sites, waste management and general sanitation pose more serious health and environmental risks to the community and therefore require urgent intervention.

“Issues relating to waste dumping sites, waste management, and general sanitation pose far greater health and environmental hazards to the community than the Monday Market land issue. These are matters that naturally demand swift and decisive intervention from NIPU in the interest of public safety,” the statement said.

NIPU also questioned the handling of the Monday Market land investigation by the local government chairman, noting that despite initiating an inquiry, the chairman’s response was limited to airing a radio jingle calling for explanations.

According to the council, a proactive local government authority should employ formal mechanisms in managing public assets, particularly revenue-generating properties.

“We expect a well-informed local government authority to be knowledgeable and proactive in handling public assets, especially assets that generate revenue weekly for the local government,” NIPU stated.

“Such matters should be addressed through official processes, including issuing stop orders where necessary, formally inviting both buyers and sellers, and engaging relevant government institutions to ensure justice prevails.

The council warned that the developments surrounding the issue raise concerns about leadership capacity at the local government level.

“All these developments raise serious concerns about the calibre of individuals entrusted with the responsibility of managing the affairs of our local government,” the statement added.