By Adedotun Ajayi

Contrary to a festering rumour that the Ondo State Government is out to displace many landowners in its ongoing urban development drive, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has assured landlords in the state that there will be no dispossession.

He gave the assurance through the Special Adviser on Infrastructure, Lands, and Housing, Engr. Ayorinde Olawoye, who dismissed claims of land-grabbing and mass displacement of civil servants over the planned redevelopment of the Alagbaka Government Staff Quarters in Akure, in particular.

Olawoye cleared the air in a statement on Tuesday, describing the controversy trailing the project as a product of half-truths, misinformation, and mischievous rhetoric targeted at discrediting Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s urban renewal efforts.

According to him, the Alagbaka Staff Quarters, a 31.3-hectare estate comprising 69 bungalows (53 residential and 16 office units) has become structurally deficient and unsafe for habitation, having been built over 30 years ago with little or no upgrades since then.

“What this administration envisions is not just reconstruction, but a holistic transformation into a modern urban housing estate that reflects the aspirations of a 21st-century Ondo State,” he said.

He emphasised that the proposed redevelopment is in line with the Aiyedatiwa administration’s Urban Regeneration and Infrastructure Optimization Plan and is aimed at delivering sustainable and inclusive infrastructure that meets global best practices.

Dismissing allegations that the project is a guise to displace civil servants, Olawoye revealed that most of the current occupants are not original allottees but subtenants who acquired the spaces at exorbitant rates.

He added that less than one percent of the state’s workforce resides in the estate, and consultations with labour leaders are ongoing to ensure affected individuals are adequately accommodated.

“The claim that government is rendering civil servants homeless is a deliberate falsehood designed to stoke public sentiment against a project that is clearly in the best interest of the people,” he said.

Olawoye further noted that the redevelopment is being undertaken under the “Our Ease” development framework, which prioritises safety, structural integrity, environmental sustainability, and aesthetic value.

He assured that the new Alagbaka Housing Estate will stand as a legacy project free from political interference, built on transparency, and executed with professional excellence.

“No amount of distraction will derail this vision.

“This is a bold statement that Ondo State is ready for true urban transformation,” he stressed.