Brooks Estate exco members resign over apology letter to Lagos CP

Residents of one of the private estates in Lagos State, Magodo Brooks, have begun tendering resignations from their various positions and removing themselves from the estate’s chat rooms the following fall out against an apology letter written to Lagos Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, by Chairman, Magodo Brooks Residents Association (MABRA), Ayoola Lawson, over the misconduct of the estate’s private guards towards the CP recently.

The residents claimed that their resignation was necessary due to the apology letter that was written by the chairman without carrying any member of the estate’s association along and that the action was a slap on the entire residents fighting the same cause.

Based on messages that were screenshot and forwarded to The Guild by one of the residents on Tuesday, discussions in the chat room showed that the estate disagreed with the actions of the association chairman and that the apology letter did not represent their interests.

Also, the residents further accused the estate chairman of writing the letter based on his personal and selfish grounds by putting forth his interest above that of the association as they expressed their disappointments.

One of the estate’s residents, identified as Olastar, who expressed dissatisfaction on the way the matter has been handled before tendering his resignations as the estate’s Publicity and Social Secretary, said that his service to the estate came to an end due to actions of the association’s chairman and that he was not willing to go back on his resignation.

He said: “My attention has been drawn to a letter written on behalf of the residents by the Chairman, Board of Trustees. I know nothing about the letter when it was written nor when the decision was made.

“In the light of this, I hereby tender my resignation as the Publicity/Social Secretary of Magodo Brooks with immediate effect. God bless Lagos State and God bless Magodo Brooks. Olastar has resigned.” he added.

Another resident who also forwarded his resignation without proper identity in the room, to the estate association faulted Lawson’s actions of writing apology to Lagos CP without consulting the entire association.

He claimed that the letter failed the residents’ interests and had betrayed the joint agreement of the entire estate to fight the same cause in ensuring no residents of the estate, as well as its private security guards, were being subjected to public humiliation.

“The BOT chairman wrote the letter on his personal grounds. He did not inform any member of the Exco. on this. I as the chairman disassociate myself from this. Even though absent physically, I was and is in tune with what is on the ground, I take an honourable exit. Thanks all.” he said.

In the same vein, the estate Vice Chairman, Dipo Ajayi, who also followed the other two Excos suits, stated that there was a need for him to exit the association in a proper way by resigning in order to ensure that justice is served and not swept under carpet since a letter written by chairman did not emanate from the group.

He claimed not to be aware of the letter written to Odumosu with text expressing regrets of the entire estate’s residents over its private guards’ conduct towards the CP recently.

“As the vice-chairman of the estate and the one who summoned the emergency meeting of today, I am not aware of this letter. This was not what we agreed at the meeting. I hereby resign as Vice Chairman of Magodo Brooks estate as this is a clear case of putting the interest of an individual or individuals over and above that of the association.” he added.

Also, the estate’s Assistant General Secretary, whose identity was not revealed in the room, resigned his post based on the same decisions of the association’s chairman to plead on behalf of the estate’s to Lagos CP and police command.

“I also resign as the Assistant General Secretary,” he said.

Meanwhile, The Guild put a call through to another resident of the estate so as to speak with the members of the association for more details on the fallout and if the members of the estate group were already making efforts to resolve the disagreement.

Although, the resident refused to comment on the crisis rocking the estate’s association while he claimed that other residents would find common ground to resolve whatever matter is dividing the estate.