Popular human rights activist and legal czar, Femi Falana, SAN, along with the family of Nigeria’s foremost labour leader, Dr. Michael Imoudu, have turned down an offer of N23 million in compensation for a parcel of land allegedly taken over by the Lagos State government. This land, which is estimated to be valued at no less than N250 million, belonged to the patriarch of the Imoudu family, the late Michael Imoudu.
Falana, in collaboration with another labour and human rights lawyer, Femi Aborisade, and the Imoudu family, raised their voices in protest at the 20th posthumous anniversary of Dr. Michael Imoudu on Saturday in Lagos, attended by federal government officials, prominent labour leaders, veterans, and labour activists.
Located around Ojuelegba in the heart of Surulere, they alleged that the state government acquired the land in the public interest to build a bus terminal.
Falana stated they rejected the offer “because it is not in line with Section 44 sub-section 1 of the Constitution, which provides that when a compassionate acquisition of anybody’s property occurs, you must pay just and fair compensation. On that basis, we have gone to court.”
He urged Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented at the event by the Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, to intervene in the matter.
According to him, the government and the family should use the land to establish a facility, such as a labour museum, named after the late Pa Imoudu, as he is fondly called.
“We have taken this occasion for the Lagos State government, since they are represented in this hall, to intervene in this matter. For the government, together with the family, to put up a befitting structure in the name of Michael Imoudu, to turn it into a labour museum. It is the greatest gift we can offer him,” he said.
Omosun-Imoudu also renewed the call of the Imoudu family to Governor Sanwo-Olu to allocate alternative land for their father’s land in Ojuelegba, stating that they intended to use the land to build a labour museum for Pa Imoudu, “but the state government is offering us a N23 million compensation for land valued at almost N300 million.
“We had written an appeal to Governor Sanwo-Olu, which was received and stamped in his office on Nov 15, 2024. In it, the Imoudu family had appealed for the allocation of alternative land where we can build the Michael Imoudu Labour Museum,” she said.
