Okereke made the appeal while addressing journalists after he was declared chairman in the election conducted to change the leadership of the estate.
Landlords and tenants of the estate who were also elected into the executive committee of the Estate Association were Nnamdi Ejiofor, Vice-Chairman; Ngozi Okafor, Secretary; Sunday Nwabugo, Fin.Secretary; Nwachukwu Maduakor, Treasurer; Nnaji Ernest, PRO; Benedict Udogu, Provost and Promise Ebubechukwu, Asst. Secretary.
Speaking on the issue of Omo Onile, he said their activities are affecting not just landlords and tenants in the estate but also those who are developing their various land properties in the state.
Okereke noted that it is worrisome that someone who had genuinely bought a land from a land owner will constantly be compelled to pay all sorts of money to some miscreants who call themselves omo onile, just to develop the land.
He said: “The Omo Onile issue here in Lagos State is something that government has to address urgently. Imagine after buying a land for millions of naira and somebody from nowhere just comes and insists that you must pay certain amount of money for them to allow you commence work on the land. If you want to start the foundation of your house, you must pay them, if you want to fence the property, you must pay. If you want to roof the house, you must pay them. This is wrong and Logos State government appears not to be doing anything about it”
He said: “This issue is peculiar to Lagos State because I have not seen any other state where it is happening. In other states, once you buy your land, no one compels you to pay any money for anything but here in Lagos, you will pay through your nose. I think this has to stop and nobody can stop it except the Lagos State government through a law.
“This is necessary because a time may come when those who cannot afford to pay the omo onile may begin to take up arm to fight them. The state government is enacting new laws everyday to tackle emerging social and economic issues. Let them also consider making it a law banning the activities of omo onile because it is an issue that really requires urgent attention”
Okereke also advised Lagos State government to extend its infrastructure development programme to suburban areas within the state so as to reduce congestion and high cost of accommodation in the state.
“More areas around Lagos are opening up and this is good. But more people are not really moving to those areas as they should because there are no infrastructure and social amenities in the areas.
“Instead of concentrating its development efforts on areas that are already developed, I believe the state government will do well to provide good roads, water and other amenities to the area that are opening up. If this is done, I am sure that house that rent will drop and more people will even gladly chose to live anywhere in the state,” he said.
He also advised government to provide security in those area where people a relocating to.
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