BY SUNDAY EGEDE
DELTA State Commissioner for Lands, Surveys and Urban Development, Chief Goodnews Obiodeh has taken a tough stance on land encroachment, warning individuals and communities to stop trespassing on government acquired lands or face the legal consequences.
The Commissioner gave this warning in his office in Asaba during a meeting with representatives of Atakiako (Egbedemi) family of Oleh in Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.
Obiodeh emphasized that the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria vested ownership of all lands, which were acquired by the Governor for the service of public interest.
He, therefore, advised communities, which are hosts to government acquisitions, to always verify properly and check with the various field offices of the Ministry before development or sale to avoid being prosecuted for criminal trespass, reminding them that ignorance of the law was not an excuse for breaking the law.
He, also, warned individuals buying and building on state government lands to desist from such act, adding the Town Planning Offices will not approve illegal buildings on such lands, even as he said that such property, if approved, will be demolished and such encroachers prosecuted.
The commissioner, therefore, cautioned against forceful occupation of government lands across the State as the resultant disobedience of the law will lead to heavy losses on their part.
According to him, the warning was in consonance with the State Government’s resolve to recover all government lands which have been encroached, adding that this was recently demonstrated through the demolition of illegal structures on Dennis Osadebay University land in Anwai-Asaba.
He said the state government’s stance aims to maintain respect for rule of law, orderliness and tackle the menace of land grabbers and unscrupulous persons who hide under the guise of ignorance to sell government lands.
The commissioner, however, advised those who might have erroneously built on state lands without approval to come forward to the Ministry. He further used the opportunity to charge property owners with Certificates of Occupancy to pay their outstanding ground rents to avoid penalties and other unpleasant consequences which could lead to revocation.
Responding, Prince Andrew Ogbodu, the family Regent and Spokesman said they were unaware of the state government acquisition and, therefore, appealed to the Commissioner to help them with information on the size of the acquisition as well as a delineation of the boundaries to enable them identify areas belonging to the state government.
