Landlords and residents of the Christ Embassy Unity Estate Community Development Association in the Aseese area of the Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have condemned the alleged plan of the Believers’ Love World, aka Christ Embassy, to demolish buildings in the community and take over the land.
The residents, while speaking with PUNCH Metro, accused representatives of the church of tricking them into forming an association with the church when some land grabbers allegedly prevented it from constructing a gate at the entrance to the estate, which leads to the church’s campground.
It was learnt that after the alliance between the church and the residents of the estate was cemented, the Christ Embassy Unity Estate Community Development Association was registered and the church, through the support of the residents, constructed the gate. But the church’s representatives were said to have abandoned the association shortly after the construction of the gate.
The residents, while condemning the action of the church’s representatives, said they were surprised that Christ Embassy claimed ownership of the entire community when its representatives, who were in company with armed policemen and some government officials, visited the area to measure and take photographs of the land without prior notice to the association.
The Chairman of the association, Akin Olaoye, said when efforts to get the church’s representatives to explain the reason for their action proved abortive, its members complained to the Ogun State Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning, and was told that the church had obtained a Certificate of Occupancy on the land.
Olaoye stated, “We were known as the Unity Estate before, but some years ago, Christ Embassy started using its campground and wanted to construct a gate at the entrance to our estate but was prevented from doing so by land grabbers.
“Since the estate’s entrance was the only route to the campground, the church’s representatives proposed that we should form an association with it to enable it construct the gate to boost the security of the estate. So, we agreed and formed the Christ Embassy Unity Estate Community Development Association.
“Immediately the construction of the gate was completed, Christ Embassy’s representatives withdrew from us and were no longer attending meetings. A reliable source told us that Christ Embassy has obtained a new C-of-O on the entire area, including our community.
“We became concerned when some officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning accompanied the Christ Embassy representatives with armed policemen and the man who sold the land the church uses as its campground visited the community and started taking pictures of some parts of the estate without carrying the CDA along. We have written to the church to find out what is happening, but it has refused to answer us.
“When we visited the Ministry of Urban and Regional Planning’s office at Wawa, the official, who attended to us, confirmed that Christ Embassy had obtained a C-of-O on the land and that the ministry’s officials visited the community because the church said it wanted to clear the bush in the area.
“The church’s representatives were referring to our area as bush, but the officials are familiar with the area and they visited to ascertain the true state. My argument is that there are some properties here that already have Cs-of-O, so how could the government issue a new C-of-O on plots of land with existing Cs-of-O? From what I know, a C-of-O has to be revoked for another one to be issued.”
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