The Rivers State government has said more illegal structures will be pulled down in the state capital, Port Harcourt.
Governor Chibuike Amaechi decried the impunity with which people develop property in the capital city, declaring that he would put an end to the trend before leaving office in 2015.
Amaechi, who said this during a two-day Rivers State Land Summit 2012 organised by the Ministry of Lands and Survey, also stated that this impunity is one of the impediments to even development of property in the state.
To bring sanity to property development in the state, the governor said structures erected on government land in any part of the metropolis will be demolished.
He therefore directed that all the houses developed in Government Girls Secondary School, Rumuokwuta, Baptist High School, Sandfill area and other places be demolished without notice, arguing that when the people developed the structures, they did not notify government.
The governor also warned that a year before the expiration of his tenure, he would roll out bulldozers to demolish all illegal property across the city “because I will make sure that lawlessness will not be a problem to the next governor.”
Another problem hampering even development in the state which Amaechi also lamented is boundary adjustment between Niger Delta state governments.
The boundary adjustment problem, he said, is being fueled by agents of Federal Government who keep adjusting the boundaries of the states and ceding oil wells from one state to another.
He therefore pleaded with the Surveyor-General to leave Niger Delta region alone, noting that despite that Rivers State is 45 years old, its boundaries with neighbouring states are always being adjusted with most of its oil wells going to neighbouring states like Abia.
Another problem militating against even development of the city, Amaechi said, is the corrupt practices existing in the Ministry of Lands and Survey as well as that of Board of Internal Revenue.
He recalled how some former governors complained to him that some staff in the Ministry of Lands were calling to inform them that they had plots of land in Port Harcourt and the Certificate of Occupancy were ready “ yet these governors said they did not know when the land was allocated to them.”
The governor further lamented the corrupt practices between Ikwerre and Okrika people, who despite that they had sold their land to the defunct Eastern Nigerian Government, are now re-selling the same land to people.
In view of all these, Amaechi stated that he would demolish all the illegal houses, promising to implement the resolutions reached at the State Land Summit 2012 to enable the state to achieve paradigm shift in land administration and management across the state.
The governor also said that “this summit ushers in the process of unlocking the wealth of Rivers State and we are glad we have started it.”
Amaechi, who made this promise through his deputy, Engr. Tele Ikuru, expressed optimism that “the implementation of the resolutions reached here will move the state forward,” assuring that “we will ensure that we change the way land is being administered and managed in the state.”
The governor thanked the participants and resource persons for their patience, genuine contributions and positive disposition towards issues raised during the summit, adding that these would “make things to work as we embark on this journey to change things in our state.”
Contributing, the Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Mr Ezemonye Ezekiel-Amadi painted a sad picture of the situation of land documentation in the ministry when he assumed office in 2009.
But three years down the line, Ezekiel-Amadi stated that his ministry has “developed a tenure strategy plan anchored on the belief that a virile and robust land administration system that guarantees easy access to and security of title to land is a sine qua non for enhanced government revenue.”
The commissioner had declared that “those who think it’s business as usual in the way we administer land in the state should be ready to witness some surprises,” reiterating the resolve of the government through his ministry to drastically reduce the timeline for issuance of certificates of occupancy (C of O) in the state.
While appealing to the public to key into the new drive, Ezekiel-Amadi also disclosed that the process of identifying, mapping and allocation of land in the state has now gone digital, pointing out that the analogue system of cadastral mapping constituted a very serious challenge.
The commissioner expressed happiness that “we have gone beyond that stage now as everything is now being done in line with global best practices across the world.”
He commended the discussants, resource persons and participants for their contributions during the summit.
Earlier in his speech, the chairman of the occasion, Ambassador Cee Orike who was also the first Commissioner for Lands in the state recalled the analogue way they were doing land documentation during his time. He praised the ministry for “moving from ground zero to the tenth floor” following the establishment of the Rivers State Geographical Survey (RIVGIS).
Also speaking, one of the resource persons and Project Coordinator, Federal Land Information System (FELIS) in the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Venerable Andrus Ukaejiofor, expressed delight with the summit, saying “it is the way to go.” He commended the governor and his deputy for “their commitment to change the system of land administration and management. They are doing a great work and I am proud to be part of this.”
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