A 92 year-old widow, Mrs Roseline Ololo, has urged a Federal High Court in Lagos to issue an order returning the Metropolitan College and Isolo Secondary School, both in Lagos, back to her.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the widow instituted the action for Enforcement of her Fundamental Human Rights as enshrined in Chapter 4 of the 1999 constitution as amended.
She sued for herself and her company, Akaix West Africa Ltd, through her counsel, Mr Malcolm Omirhobo.
Joined as respondents in the suit are the Attorney General of the Federation; the Minister of Education; the Lagos State Government; Lagos State Attorney General, and the Lagos State Commissioner for Education.
She is praying the court for a declaration that the refusal by the Lagos State Government to return her schools is unjust, unconstitutional, illegal and unlawful.
In her affidavit personally deposed to by her, Ololo averred that in 1940, she and her late husband, Mr Akaihieobi-Ololo Ogwuand, moved from the Eastern part of Nigeria to the Lagos colony.
She said that in 1952, they both incorporated a company, Akaix Africa Ltd, in which name they established Metropolitan College.
"Via a letter with Ref No: CEO/18L/31/25 dated March 1, 1956 , our company was granted permission by the Federal Ministry of Education to establish Metropolitan College of Commerce.
"The school, for about 18 years of its existence, was located at No 15, Banire St., Surulere in a rented apartment.
"In 1966, before the Nigeria/Biafran Civil war, we purchased over 8.17 hectares of land at the Atire-akari Isolo area of Lagos," she averred
She said that for expansion purposes and to move away from the thickly populated residential area of Surulere, they moved to the new site in 1974.
"In 1976, through the Education (Private Secondary Institutions Special Provisions) Law, the Military Government of Lagos State took over 48 Private Secondary Schools from their owners, including Metropolitan College.
"In the process, Isolo Secondary School was carved out of Metropolitan College on the same expanse of land hosting the college.
"However, in 2001, the administration of Chief Ahmed Bola Tinubu repealed the law and returned the said 48 private schools to their owners," she averred
Ololo said that Metropolitan College was curiously not returned to its owners, a development which she said, brought about the law suit.
She is therefore, praying the Federal High Court for a declaration that the refusal of the respondents to return her schools violated her constitutional rights to acquire and own landed properties.
She averred that the acts of the respondents amount to a willful attempt to exploit, marginalise and victimise her on account of her sex as a female, and her status as an old person.
Ololo, therefore, seeks a court order restraining the respondents from further infringing on her fundamental right, as well as an order returning her properties back to her.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a date for hearing of the suit is yet to be fixed by the court. (NAN)
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