Hearing challenged students to Oyo govt: Stop politicians from encroaching on our land,
By Laolu Elijah
IBADAN—STUDENTS of Christian Mission School for the Hearing Challenged, in Ibadan, yesterday, urged the Oyo State government to stop selling their 39-acre land to political office holders and other individuals.
The land is located on kilometre 18 on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The students, who displayed placards with various inscriptions, urged Governor Seyi Makinde to stop encroachers from taking over their land for the proposed establishment of the first University for the deaf in Africa.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: ‘The deaf have the rights to live; Please, do not snatch our land; Don’t punch the deaf in the face; Please, do not oppress the deaf; The deaf are helpless, help us, among others.
A member of the school’s advisory board, Dr. Gbenga Idowu, in a chat with newsmen, said: “We bought the land in 2005 and the problem started when the state government acquired the land in 2018 without prior notice even though we duly registered the property with them.
“We have no power and we are not happy about the encroachment. We have only 39 acres. In a saner clime, the government will fully support us due to the disability of these innocent and helpless children. If our government does not help us, they should leave us with the little we struggled to get.
“What is a Senator coming to take the land of the poor for? There’s land everywhere. Why should it be the land of these defenceless innocent children you want to take by force?
“This hearing-impaired school is not meant for Christians alone; there are also Muslim children among these students who come from all over the country. Governor Seyi Makinde should please help us to protect us from these encroachers.
“For years, our mission has strived tirelessly to uplift deaf individuals preventing them from the indignity of becoming street beggars and urchins. We established Primary and Secondary schools for the Deaf, located at Plot 78 Commercial Reservation, off Kudeti Avenue, Onireke GRA, Ibadan between 1998 and 2004. However, the overwhelming number of students and dedicated staff has rendered this place severely congested.
“We have written several letters to make the state government see reasons but our pleas fell on deaf ears. Nobody responded to us until last year when we noticed a new encroachment again by one Senator. We accosted him to enquire why he encroached on our land but he put up a stiff resistance and told us we should go to court.
“They have forcefully taken over 19 acres despite the structures we built on it. The place we have at Onireke is already choked up and that’s why we looked for a more spacious place to give life to the deaf.
“We are frustrated by this development. If we are trying to give meaningful life to these children, I think our efforts should be complemented.
“After many attempts, the government promised to look into it but we were dismayed to witness the presence of State Government entities undertaking construction on the said land. Left with no other recourse, we sought legal intervention, and the court, recognizing the validity of our claim, issued an injunction to halt further work on the property. Regrettably, the subsequent court proceedings have been consistently frustrated by the inexplicable absence of the government’s legal representatives.”
Appealing to Governor Makinde, the school said: “We firmly believe in your commitment to justice, equity, and the well-being of all citizens of Oyo State, including the most vulnerable. We implore you to personally look into our predicaments and provide a final and just resolution to this protracted issue. The future of countless hearing impaired individuals, their hopes for education, self-reliance, and dignity, rests upon your compassionate intervention.
The post Hearing challenged students to Oyo govt: Stop politicians from encroaching on our land appeared first on Vanguard News.
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STUDENTS of Christian Mission School for the Hearing Challenged, in Ibadan, yesterday, urged the Oyo State government to stop selling their 39-acre land to political office holders and other individuals.
The post Hearing challenged students to Oyo govt: Stop politicians from encroaching on our land appeared first on Vanguard News.
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