Prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and the family of Nigeria's revered labour leader, the late Dr. Michael Imoudu, have publicly rejected a compensation offer of N23 million from the Lagos State Government. The offer is for a plot of land in Surulere which the family estimates to be worth no less than N250 million.
Rejection Grounded in Constitutional Provisions
The rejection was announced during the 20th posthumous anniversary celebration of Pa Imoudu held in Lagos over the weekend. Falana, alongside labour lawyer Femi Aborisade and the Imoudu family, stated that the government's offer violates constitutional principles.
Falana explicitly cited Section 44, subsection 1 of the Nigerian Constitution, which mandates the payment of "just and fair" compensation for any property acquired by the government. He declared that the N23 million offer fails this legal test, prompting the family to seek redress in court.
Appeal for Governor Sanwo-Olu's Intervention
At the event, which was attended by federal government representatives, top labour officials, and veteran unionists, Falana directly appealed to Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. The Governor was represented by the Commissioner for Establishment and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo.
Instead of monetary compensation, Falana and the family proposed an alternative resolution. They urged the governor to allow the use of the contested land, located around Ojuelegba in Surulere, to construct a labour museum named in honour of Pa Michael Imoudu.
Family Seeks Alternative Land for Legacy Project
Echoing this sentiment, Dr. Veronica Omosun-Imoudu, speaking on behalf of the family, renewed their appeal. She revealed that the family's original plan for the land was indeed to build the Michael Imoudu Labour Museum.
She stated that the state government's offer of N23 million was grossly inadequate for land now valued at close to N300 million. Dr. Omosun-Imoudu further disclosed that the Imoudu family had previously submitted a formal appeal to Governor Sanwo-Olu's office.
"We had written an appeal to Governor Sanwo-Olu, which was received and stamped in his office on November 15, 2024," she said. In the appeal, the family requested the allocation of an alternative piece of land where they could proceed with the construction of the memorial museum dedicated to their father's legacy.
The land was reportedly acquired by the Lagos State Government for the construction of a public bus terminal. The standoff highlights ongoing tensions between property rights, public development projects, and the preservation of historical legacies in Nigeria's commercial capital.
